Obama Nominates Four U.S. Attorneys

WASHINGTON (CN) - Amid complaints about the Obama administration's sluggish pace on appointments, the president has sent four nominees to fill U.S. Attorney positions, in the District of Wyoming, and the Eastern Districts of Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Michigan.

In Wyoming, Christopher A. Crofts has been nominated to replace Kelly H. Rankin who has held the position since May 2008. Crofts has been Wyoming Gov. David Freudenthal's legal counsel since 2006. He previously spent 16 years as an assistant U.S. attorney.

After serving as assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin since 1985, James L. Santelle might finally head up the office that was embroiled in the Bush administration's bungled firing of U.S. attorneys.

If confirmed, Thomas G. Walker, now with Alston & Bird, will replace Bush holdover George E.B. Holding in the Eastern District of North Carolina, where there are ongoing probes of former Gov. Mike Easley and former Senator John Edwards, both Democrats.

In the Eastern District of Michigan, the president nominated Barbara L. McQuade, who has been assistant U.S. attorney there for 11 years. If approved she would replace Stephen J. Murphy, who was appointed to the federal bench in 2008.

To date Obama has nominated 34 U.S. attorneys, 24 of whom have been approved by unanimous consent of the Senate.

Twenty-eight of the 93 sitting U.S. attorneys are holdovers from the Bush administration, which a year into office retained fewer than 10 percent of the Clinton administration's appointees.

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