The Nomination Process Is Broken, Part A Million

In withdrawing her nomination to lead the Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen gets at the interaction between the confirmation process and the way she hoped to manage the office, were she in a position to lead it:

In a statement released by the White House in the afternoon, the nominee, Dawn Johnsen, said she had come to realize that the strong Republican opposition to her nomination had undermined her own goal for the office, which was to restore its reputation for providing legal advice "unvarnished by politics or partisan ambition."

"Restoring O.L.C. to its best nonpartisan traditions was my primary objective for my anticipated service in this administration," Ms. Johnsen said. "Unfortunately, my nomination has met with lengthy delays and political opposition that threaten that objective and prevent O.L.C. from functioning at full strength. I hope that the withdrawal of my nomination will allow this important office to be filled promptly."

Now Congress hasn't just denied OLC a leader, something the agency could definitely use if only to start a conversation about its future and its role, but it's further heightened the atmosphere in which the agency operates. This. Stuff. Matters. A lot. It's disturbing to see Congress act as if it's irrelevant.