California Hires Eric Holder as Legal Bulwark Against Donald Trump

[highplainsdem]

Source: NYT

LOS ANGELES — Girding for four years of potential battles with President-elect Donald J. Trump, Democratic leaders of the California Legislature announced Wednesday that they had hired Eric H. Holder Jr., who was attorney general under President Obama, to represent them in any legal fights against the new Republican White House.

The decision by the Legislature to retain Mr. Holder, who is now a prominent Washington lawyer, is the latest sign of the ideological battle that may play out over the next four years between this predominantly Democratic state and Washington. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for president, defeated Mr. Trump by more than four million votes here.

“Having the former attorney general of the United States brings us a lot of firepower in order to prepare to safeguard the values of the people of California,” Kevin de León, the Democratic leader of the Senate, said in an interview. “This means we are very, very serious.”

Mr. de León said he expected California to challenge Washington — and defend itself from policies instituted in Washington — on issues including the environment, immigration and criminal justice. He said California Democrats decided to turn to Mr. Holder as they watched Mr. Trump assemble his cabinet and begin to set the tone for his presidency.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/04/us/california-eric-holder-donald-trump.html

[geek tragedy]

4. "Didn't do a damn thing for 6 years." Incredibly ignorant and inaccurate comment nt

[George II]

10. Obviously someone wasn't paying attention. And...

...I remember when Holder left the Justice Department he was bashed for returning to the law firm where he was working when he accepted the AG job. A "wall-street corporatist", if I recall.

This shows that it was just an interim position until he could get back into government.

I think he'll do a great job.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Agreed

If he's the best they can do, then CA is in trouble.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Good for them!

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/eric-holder-legacy-111330

John Lewis, the Democratic congressman from Georgia who led many of the civil rights movement’s most famous battles, called Holder “the symbol of fairness, an embodiment of the best in the federal government.”

I know there is a branch of the Democratic Party that holds Lewis in less regard in terms of Civil Rights and Social Justice than a lot of the "johnny come lately talkers" - but if he is good enough for Congressman Lewis he is good enough for me. I'll look to people in their 70's like Lewis for recommendations before others. And that's that.

[flamingdem]

3. Excellent, he knows how things work

[Plucketeer]

5. Or DON'T work

in Holder's case. Refresh my memory about how aggressive Eric was with Wall St.

[Brother Buzz]

6. Will Holder work under Xavier Becerra?

[Hortensis]

7. Excellent. California is "very, very serious."

I'm proud of my birth/home state. Completely out-principles, outperforms, and outclasses Georgia, sorry to say.

[ucrdem]

8. This is great news.

I thought Holder did a great job and was sorry to see him go. I'm glad he's back in the game.