On Fishman nomination, still nothing

Paul Fishman is still expected to become New Jersey's next United States Attorney, but his appointment is taking a while.  It's been ten weeks since U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez wrote the President recommending his nomination, but the White House has not really begun the appointment of federal prosecutors for each state. 

Such delays are typical with a new administration.  It took George W. Bush nearly a year before settling on Christopher Christie as his pick.

Last week, when Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra defended his office after the American Civil Liberties Union released documents on the use of cell phone GPS tracking, some Democratic operatives viewed it as a defense of Christopher Christie, Marra's predecessor and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor.  But sources close to the state's Democratic U.S. Senators say there has been no discussion about pushing the White House to speed up the appointment process so that Fishman can take office sooner.  And Marra was simply stating that the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey had always acted legally and with court approval of its actions, and not in defense of any particular person.

Marra's appointment as Acting U.S. Attorney, which was made by Attorney General Michael Mukasey in December, ends on June 29, unless a new U.S. Attorney is nominated and confirmed before then.  The new Attorney General, Eric Holder, will have the option of keeping Marra or making another 120 day interim appointment.

By the way, Marra, a career federal prosecutor, is a Democrat.