News[JURIST] US Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) [official website] has hinted that he might not support Timothy Flanigan, President Bush's pick for Deputy Attorney General, if Flanigan is not willing to allow proper Congressional oversight of his role. Flanigan, formerly Deputy Counsel to the President and Alberto Gonzales' number two when he was at the White House, is currently senior vice president and general counsel for Tyco International [Tyco press release]. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing [agenda] Tuesday Specter said his support for Flanigan will hinge on his "understanding of oversight". While it's still too soon to tell if this means a struggle or even defeat for Flanigan, the comments are indicative of growing frustration from Republicans in Congress about the Bush administration's general reluctance to allow effective oevrsight of executive branch business, especially related to the war on terror. The most recent example is the White House opposition to Guantanamo detainee legislation [JURIST report] being proposed by two Republican senators. Flanigan also answered questions about torture and interrogation policies [New York Times report]. The Chicago Tribune has more.
