Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to add my support this morning for Courtney Elwood as the next general counsel of the CIA--not that she really needs it. In her many years of public service and private practice, Courtney has earned the esteem of her colleagues across both parties and two administrations. David Kris, an Obama appointee, calls her ``a first-class lawyer.'' Ben Powell, a Bush appointee, calls her ``one of the finest lawyers of her generation.'' Caroline Krass, another Obama appointee, calls her ``an excellent choice.'' And Wan Kim, another Bush appointee, says she is ``careful, brilliant, and highly accomplished.'' In other words, you don't need me to tell you Courtney Elwood is a first-rate attorney. In fact, you don't need anyone to tell you that because her accomplishments speak for themselves. She graduated from Yale Law School in 1994 and went on to clerk for both Judge Mike Luttig on the Fourth Circuit and then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the Supreme Court. After spending some time in private practice, she worked for 6 years in the George W. Bush administration, rising from associate counsel to the President, to deputy counsel to the Vice President, to Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General. We are not talking about a rookie lawyer who is inexperienced in the ways of Washington or in the corridors of power. Her commitment to the law is unquestioned and unquestionable. She is just the person we need for this position.…”