Obama's Attorney General , Eric Holder

[IDemo]

Newsweek - Posted Tuesday, November 18, 2008 1:57 PM

President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration, still has to undergo a formal “vetting” review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final and is publicly announced, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified talking about the transition process. But in the discussions over the past few days, Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted, the source said. The announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments.

Holder, 57, has been on Obama’s “short list” for attorney general from the outset. A partner at the D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, Holder served as co-chief (along with Caroline Kennedy) of Obama’s vice-presidential selection process. He also actively campaigned for Obama throughout the year and grew personally close to the president-elect. Holder has not returned a call seeking comment; the Obama transition team did not respond to e-mail messages.

The sources said the Obama transition team is still debating over who should serve under Holder in the key post of deputy attorney general. One top candidate, favored by Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and other former Clinton White House officials, is Elena Kagan, dean of the Harvard Law School and a former lawyer in the White House counsel’s office under Clinton. Another top candidate, favored by other Obama advisors, is David Ogden, a former chief of staff to Attorney General Janet Reno, who is currently heading Obama’s Justice Department transition team. Kagan brings legal policy credentials; Ogden has more experience in the Justice Department trenches.

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/poweringup/archive/2008/11/18/obama-s-attorney-general.aspx

[yodermon]

1. Fitzmas cancelled yet again n/t

[Thrill]

2. This is the first time I've been disappointed in Obama. I don't like this pick

I would have liked to see Napolitano, Kaine, Cuomo, or Fitzpatrick

[FrenchieCat]

4. What is the problem with Holder?

[kansasblue]

6. Eric Holder info here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holder

Holder was born in 1951 in The Bronx, New York, to parents who had emigrated from Barbados. He grew up in Queens and was educated at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and attended Columbia University, where he earned a B.A. in 1973 and a J.D. in 1976.<3>

After graduating from Columbia Law School Holder worked in the U.S. Justice Department as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity section from 1976 to 1988. He was then appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.<1>

In 1993 Holder was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Bill Clinton. Clinton also nominated him to serve as Deputy Attorney General in 1997<4>. Holder was the first African American to serve in each of those positions.<5><3>

As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was, along with Jack Quinn, at the center of the controversial pardon of fugitive Marc Rich. Holder gave a "neutral, leaning towards favorable" opinion of the pardon to Clinton, which led to the pardoning of Rich on Clinton's last day in office.<6>

Holder served as Acting Attorney General under President George W. Bush for several weeks until the Senate confirmed Bush's nominee, John Ashcroft.<7>

Since 2001, Holder has worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.<3> In 2004, Holder helped negotiate an agreement with the Justice Department for Chiquita Brands International in a case that involved Chiquita's payment of "protection money" to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a paramilitary group that has been designated a terrorist group by the United States government.<8><9> In the agreement, Chiquita's officials pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $25 million.<9> Holder represents Chiquita in the civil action which grew out of this criminal case.<9>

In late 2007, Holder joined Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior legal advisor. He served on Obama's vice presidential selection committee.<1>

In June 2008, Holder was considered to be a leading candidate for Attorney General under an Obama Administration.<10>

On November 18, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, making him the first African-American to head the Justice Department.

Holder is married to Sharon Malone; the couple has three children.<11>

[FrenchieCat]

10. I don't see anything there that would make him unqualified for the position.

:shrug:

This appointment is fine with me.

[Thrill]

13. Not about him being qualified. The Republicans are going to make his confirmation hard and tough

unnecessary controversy in my opinion. He is going to catch hell for the Marc Rich pardon. It won't be pretty. I just think there are other candidates out there, that could avoid the controversy. Just my opinion.

[ErinBerin84]

9. me too..

[IDemo]

3. I've never heard of him before today. Bring me up to speed on the disappointment, someone

[TheWraith]

5. DUers don't need a reason to be disappointed.

The fact that Obama hasn't given us a pony is enough. :eyes:

[Bake]

12. Dammit, I was promised a pony and I want it!!

:rofl:

Bake

[Connie_Corleone]

7. He's more than qualified for the position.

I read the wikipedia entry on him. There are only two things that I have a problem with, but they're nothing to disqualify him from being attorney general.

What's with all the "disappointment" crap?

[AspenRose]

11. He is certainly a step up from Gonzales and Ashcroft!

[vanderBeth]

15. Damn straight

[AspenRose]

8. Not surprising

I think folks who have been paying attention have been expecting this

[mollymongold]

14. its breaking on cnn now