Harry Reid Vows to Block Ted Olson

Ted Olson, whose wife died during the 9/11 attacks, has been mentioned as the leading candidate to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. As I mentioned the other day, the left is still mad at Olson because he represented the president during Bush v. Gore in 2000, and now the Senate Majority leader is promising to block his confirmation:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed on Wednesday to block former Solicitor General Theodore Olson from becoming attorney general if President George W. Bush nominates him to replace Alberto Gonzales.

Congressional and administration officials have described Olson as a leading contender for the job as the nation's chief U.S. law enforcement officer, but Reid declared: "Ted Olson will not be confirmed" by the Senate.

"He's a partisan, and the last thing we need as an attorney general is a partisan," Reid told Reuters in a brief hallway interview on Capitol Hill.

I think Olson would be a great candidate, and I wish the president had simply made a recess appointment before Congress came back in session. It wouldn't have changed the term the Olson would serve, and it would have eliminated the need for confirmation hearings.

I hope the president goes ahead and chooses Olson. I think that's a fight that we'd all enjoy.