Mary Beth Buchanan, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, announced today that she plans to step down, effective Nov. 16.Oh I would LOVE for her to enter the race.
Ms. Buchanan has served in the post since September 2001, when she was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. A news release from her office did not state whether she had made plans for the future.
There has been speculation that she could challenge Congressman Jason Altmire next year.
UPDATE: The P-G has more this morning.
I just have to wonder, did she stay as long as she did because she was telling Justice “I think I can collect enough evidence to indict Ravenstahl”? Was she asked to resign when that scandal broke about the US Attorney’s office listening to tapes of conversations between prisoners at the county jail and the US public defender? Is MBB leaving behind a file locked in a bottom drawer marked “LR”? Would a Democratic administration even want to prosecute a Democratic mayor?
ReplyDeleteSo many Mayors recently - Marion Barry, Kwame Kilpatrick, Sharpe James, all convicted. Of course, also all African American too, unfortunately. But other cities have succeeded in prosecuting their mayors. It seems like it ought to only be a matter of time for us, but then again, Our Mayor has at least one police bodyguard with him pretty much all the time. If the cop saw the mayor do something illegal, you would think the cop might have said something. Kind of casts doubt on the independence of the constabulary in this ‘burgh (and no one over the age of eight is surprised).
So MBB’s departure entails some unfinished business, things that maybe only a Republican could do.