Senator Cassidy Backs Trump's AG Pick: What It Means for the Justice System
Senator Bill Cassidy's support for Todd Blanche clears the path for Trump's attorney general pick. Here's what the Common Good Party sees at stake.
August 7, 2026 · Source: New York Times
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana just gave Todd Blanche the votes he needed to become attorney general. This matters more than it might seem.
The attorney general is not the president's lawyer. That's the job description some people seem to want, but it's not the job. The attorney general runs the Department of Justice, the agency that investigates federal crimes, prosecutes corruption, enforces civil rights law, oversees the FBI, and manages the federal prison system. That person works for the Constitution and the rule of law, not for whoever appointed them.
Why does this matter to the Common Good Party? Because a politicized Justice Department is a threat to democracy itself. It's Pillar III: Common Ground. We can't fix broken systems if the machinery of government itself is rigged.
Here's what concerns us about this confirmation: We don't yet know whether Blanche will prioritize prosecuting actual crimes, financial fraud, corruption, abuse of power, or whether he'll use the office to settle political scores. Both matter. Both happen at the DOJ.
A Justice Department that works for the common good investigates and prosecutes crime without regard to politics. That means going after corporate fraud that bleeds workers. It means holding public officials accountable, regardless of party. It means protecting voting rights, not attacking them. And it means the person running it can look you in the eye and say: "I'm not working for the president. I'm working for the law."
We don't know yet if Blanche is that person. We're watching.