Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to oppose Steven Bradbury's nomination to serve as general counsel at the Department of Transportation. The general counsel position at DOT oversees and makes critical judgments about legal work that impacts public safety, development, and innovation that drives our economy. Unfortunately, Mr. Bradbury's previous actions during his time at the Department of Justice showed that he lacks the judgment and commitment to our shared values that are a prerequisite for any lawyer privileged to serve the people of the United States of America. During his time as the acting head of the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, Mr. Bradbury was one of three primary lawyers who helped lay the groundwork for the Bush administration's defense of what they described as ``enhanced interrogation techniques.'' The so- called torture memos that Mr. Bradbury helped write were used to justify the Bush administration's decision to use torture that included extreme sleep deprivation, cramped confinement, and waterboarding. Mr. Bradbury helped find legal loopholes that were an affront to our American values. And he failed to fulfill the special responsibility all lawyers have to the quality of justice in our legal system. Mr. Bradbury's past government service reflects a lack of sound legal judgment. In fact, a 2009 review by the Department of Justice raised questions about the objectivity and reasonableness of the conclusions found in the memos he authored.…”