While there has yet to be an official announcement, it seems that Eric Holder, the former deputy Attorney General under the Clinton Administration, is Obama’s top choice for the Attorney General. Holder, who was Janet Reno’s number two, would be the first African American to hold the office. Officials from the Obama administration leaked this information along with news that several senators have been asked whether or not they would give their confirmation. For those who can’t recall, Holder reviewed the controversial pardon of fugitive Marc Rich during Clinton’s last days in office.
- “As we wrote yesterday, Obama has apparently picked Eric Holder, one of his veep vetters and a former deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton, for attorney general. Holder is black, which would be a first for the Cabinet position, and rocks a mustache, which isn’t a historical first, but certainly can’t hurt his prospects. But what could harm him are the concerns coming from both the right and the left — most notably, Holder’s role in facilitating the infamous Marc Rich pardon.” – from Obama’s Attorney General Pick Gets MixedReception, at Daily Intel
- “Eric Holder, a former judge, is by all accounts intelligent, capable and honorable—except that, in the Rich case, he also seemed to be spineless, afraid to stand up for his Department and his line prosecutors when Jack Quinn (right), a lawyer who was tight both with Clinton and Al Gore, decided to use Holder to maneuver around the Justice Department.” – from Holder as AG: Why Marc Rich matters, at Spin Cycle
- “I hear a storyline hardening around Eric Holder’s nomination. Instead of being celebrated for the accomplished and outstanding public servant that he is, Holder is being portrayed as more of the same Clinton-era politics that Obama was supposed to leave behind. I disagree that Holder’s nomination is just “more of the same.” Yes, Holder served in the Clinton Justice Department, but that does not mean his nomination is not totally welcomed and savored by many of his supporters.” – from Eric Holder Is Change I Can Believe In, at Huffington Post
- “Before nominating Eric Holder to be his attorney general, President Elect Barack Obama quietly asked key Senate Republicans if there would be any potential confirmation problems with Holder´s nomination. Holder is his first cabinet pick and Obama wants to make sure that the pick will be hailed as a good one. The last thing he needs is a bitter, partisan, and contentious scuffle over Holder.” – from Holder Could Be GOP Target, at American Chronicle
- “At confirmation hearings for the AG post, Holder will probably have to relive an episode that previously brought him before the Senate Judiciary Committee: the Marc Rich pardon. During the last hours of the Clinton administration, Holder signed off on the pardon of the fugitive financier, whose ex-wife turned out to be a major Clinton donor. Critics charged that Holder should have consulted with the line prosecutors on Rich’s case and questioned Holder’s dealings with Rich’s lawyer, onetime White House counsel Jack Quinn.” – from The Am Law Litigation Daily: November 19, 2008, at The Am Law Daily
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