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November 18, 2008
Clinton Part deux or....Barack Hussein Obama to Pick Eric Holder As AG
Barack Hussein Obama to Pick Eric Holder As AG
WASHINGTON
President-elect Barack Obama's aides have privately asked senators whether Washington attorney Eric Holder would be confirmed as the next attorney general, according to a person involved in the talks.
The talks suggest that Obama is deeply interested in Holder, who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Clinton.
In the past week, Obama aides have asked Senate Republicans whether they would support Holder. In particular, the aides questioned whether Holder's confirmation would be delayed because of his involvement in the 2001 pardon of fugitive Marc Rich by President Bill Clinton
Newsweek, quoting unidentified legal sources close to the presidential transition team, reported Tuesday that Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted. Newsweek said Holder still has to undergo a formal "vetting" review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final.
One person involved in the talks told The Associated Press that the Obama team has received some assurances that, while the Rich pardon would certainly come up during hearings, the nomination likely wouldn't be held up over that. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversations.
On the last day of Clinton's term, Holder was asked whether the president should pardon Rich, a wealthy commodities dealer who had been spent years running from tax charges. Holder said he was "neutral, leaning towards favorable" on the pardon. Clinton later cited that as among the factors that persuaded him to issue the pardon.
Holder has publicly apologized for what he said was a snap decision that he should have paid more attention to. Had he taken more time to review the case, he would have advised against a pardon, he said.
A former U.S. attorney, Holder is among Washington's most prominent defense attorneys. He would be the first black attorney general in U.S. history.
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Eric Holder, as deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewed the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
Charged with 51 counts of fraud, tax evasion and illegally trading with Iran, Mr. Rich fled to Switzerland in 1983 but won a pardon from Mr. Clinton in 2001. The decision prompted a congressional investigation because Mr. Rich's wife was a major Democratic donor and prosecutors said they were never consulted.
Indicted by then-U.S. Attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Rich failed to return to the U.S. following the indictment and was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for several years. Mr. Holder had given a "neutral, leaning towards favorable" opinion of the pardon that led directly to the pardoning of Mr. Rich on Mr. Clinton's last day in office.
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When Will Obama Stop Ignoring The Controversial Record Of His Senior Adviser?
PDF file and research Paid for by the Republican National Committee.
Obama's Senior Adviser And VP Vetter, Eric Holder, Served As Deputy Attorney General When The Clinton Administration Pardoned Two Members Of The Weather Underground:
-- The Clinton Administration Commuted The Sentence Of Two Members Of The Weather Underground While Holder Was Deputy Attorney General. "While most of the attention at the time was focused on the Rich pardon, and the contributions Rich's ex-wife Denise made to the Clinton library and campaigns, there was also extensive criticism of the commuted sentences of two convicted members of the domestic terror group, the Weather Underground, Susan Rosenberg and Linda Sue Evans." (Avni Patel and Brian Ross, "Obama's VP Screener Missed Problems With Controversial Clinton Pardons," abcnews.go.com, 6/20/08)
-- Obama: "By Senator Clinton's own vetting standards, I don't think she'd make it since President Clinton pardoned or commuted the sentences of two members of the Weather Underground, which I think is a slightly more significant act than me serving on a board with someone for actions that he did 40 years ago." (Avni Patel and Brian Ross, "Obama's VP Screener Missed Problems With Controversial Clinton Pardons," abcnews.go.com, 6/20/08)
Holder Has Been Involved In Numerous Controversial Actions, Including The Commutation Of The Sentences Of Two Members Of The Weather Underground And The Seizure Of Elian Gonzalez:
Then-Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder Was Involved In The Seizure Of Elian Gonzalez And His Return To Cuba. "At issue ... legal advisor Eric Holder, a member of Obama's vice-presidential search committee who was deputy attorney general when the 6-year-old boy was seized by federal agents and returned to Cuba." (Beth Reinhard, "Elian Saga Might Hound Obama Visit," The Miami Herald, 6/19/08)
-- Holder Defended The Right Of The Federal Government To Seize Gonzalez By Force. "The Justice Department yesterday warned the Miami relatives of Elian Gonzalez that force could be used 'if it becomes necessary' to return the boy to his father. 'We have that power,' said Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder. 'The father and son need to be together. It is not only a matter of federal law and immigration law, it is simply the right thing to do.' Holder said U.S. marshals would be prepared to seize the boy only as a last resort, and he described a series of escalated steps over the next few days to keep pressure on Elian's Miami relatives to make a peaceful transfer of custody." (Richard Sisk, "Gov't Says Force An Option Reunite Father, Son," [New York] Daily News, 4/7/00)
-- Holder Also Defended The Use Of Guns In The Raid. "Mr. Holder said his agents were heavily armed when they entered the house because they had 'intelligence that the possibility existed there were guns in the house. We had to make sure our people were protected and they were in a position to protect people within the house. I don't know if there were any guns in the house. I don't know if they found any guns. We had to deal, however, with the intelligence we had that we got from local sources and make sure everybody was adequately protected.' Apparently no guns were found." (Jerry Seper and Clarence Williams, "Holder Defends Sudden Raid For Elian," The Washington Times, 4/24/00)
Holder Played A Major Role In The Decision To Grant Clemency To 16 Former Members Of The Puerto Rican Terrorist Group The Armed Forces Of National Liberation (FALN).
"Holder, a Barbadian immigrant's son who grew up in Queens and received his law degree from Columbia, has played major roles in the probe of Democratic funny-money in the 1996 elections, the Sexgate scandal and the recommendation to President Clinton on whether to free FALN terrorists from jail. A list of FALN documents withheld from Congress shows that many memos on the FALN clemency decision went directly to Holder, while Reno's role was minimal." (Brian Blomquist, "Ailing Reno Yielding Reins Of Justice," New York Post, 12/15/99)
-- Although The FBI Opposed Clemency, Holder Supported Clemency For The FALN Members. "Although The New York Times reported that the FBI, Bureau of Prisons and U.S. state attorneys opposed clemency, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, the Justice Department official most involved with this issue, reportedly supported clemency. 'Eric Holder told me he was recommending that,' a high-ranking official said. Ruff also supported clemency, sources said. Holder declined to comment." (Edward Lewine, "How Bill Chose Clemency," [New York] Daily News, 9/5/99)
Holder Played A "Key Role" In The Pardoning Of Marc Rich.
"Now Obama needs to turn his attention to another member of that committee - Eric Holder, a former No. 2 in the Clinton Justice Department who played a key role in processing the infamous last-minute pardon of the notorious tax-cheat fugitive Marc Rich." (Editorial, "Obama's Bus," New York Post, 6/12/08)
-- Holder Reviewed The Pardon Of "Fugitive Financier" Rich. "The criticism Thursday centered on Obama adviser Eric H. Holder Jr., who is scrutinizing candidates to be the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee's running mate. As deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewedt the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich." (Jim McElhatton, "GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser," The Washington Times, 6/13/08)
-- Holder "Waved Through" Rich's Pardon In The Final Days Of The Clinton Administration. "As Bill Clinton's deputy attorney general, he was the gatekeeper for presidential pardons. Most famously, he waved through the pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich in the waning days of the Clinton White House." (Jonathan Weisman, "Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder," The Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)
-- "In 2002, A Congressional Committee Reported That Holder Was A 'Willing Participant In The Plan To Keep The Justice Department From Knowing About And Opposing' The Rich Pardon." (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, "Obama's VP Search Mistake," New York Post, 6/5/08)
-- "Neither Clinton Nor Holder Ever Consulted With The Pardon Attorney." (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, "Obama's VP Search Mistake," New York Post, 6/5/08)
In 2002, Eric Holder Lobbied On Behalf Of Global Crossing After The Company Had Accumulated Nearly $12 Million In Debt.
"Smelling blood in the water, Republicans now plan to pounce on another member of Obama's veep- selection committee, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, for his lobbying on behalf of telecom giant Global Crossing. Holder lobbied for the company, which underwent one of the largest bankruptcies in American history after racking up nearly $12 million in debt, as it emerged from bankruptcy in 2002, Senate lobbying disclosure documents reveal." (Charles Hurt and Geoff Earle, "O's Veep Hunter Quits," New York Post, 6/12/08)
Wild Thing's comment........
Obama's " change" in picking people in his administration is a re-hiring of Clintonistas people. haha OH my gosh!!!!!
But..but...but....what about Janet Reno.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 18, 2008 05:55 PM
Comments
Barack Obama with his choice of Eric Holder for AG has just opened the door for George W. Bush to immediately grant a full pardon to Scooter Libby. This also gives Bush an Obama approved green light to numerous other pardon requests that have been submitted to him. High on this list should be Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos as well as any other U.S. Border Patrol agents sent to jail for doing their job.
Posted by: Les at November 18, 2008 06:54 PM
Obama just loves crooks, radicals and anti Americans. Obviously Eric Holder does also, as he seems to have been in on the pardoning of quite a few.
Clinton's administration was full of crooks. Now a lot of them are getting a shot at another tour of duty in the Obama administration. Political crime can pay off big.
Posted by: TomR at November 18, 2008 10:12 PM
So much for change. That is a dead issue. They rehired the guy who was responsible for sending Elian Gonzalez back to Cuba, to live a life of misery. These bastards must be really proud of themselves and how they follow the law when it converns someone who is really of no consequence to them. While Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and the rest of those crooks walk scott-free after causing the biggest bank scandal ever. They rank right up there with that no account bastard Johnny Sutton.
Posted by: Mark at November 18, 2008 10:12 PM
Les, well I sure would love for Bush to pardon the non criminals Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos. But my gut tells me he won't. Bush and his pal Sutton are the reason Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos are in jail.
Maybe God will touch Bush's heart as to how horribly wrong he has been on this and yes pardon Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos. It's just that I won't hold my breath.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 18, 2008 11:44 PM
Tom, yes, and here I thought we were rid of these people. I sure was wrong.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 18, 2008 11:49 PM
Mark, ditto that!
And there has been no mention at all about punishing those responsible ie. Barny Frank, Chris Dodd, and the others.
Sutton is a real slime too. I agree Mark.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 18, 2008 11:54 PM
"Heil...Heil... the gangs all here. What the hell do we care...What the hell do we care?" - They're baaaack 1993-2000 / 2009-2016?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 19, 2008 12:03 AM
The Obama White House is looking more and more like the Clinton White House.
Maybe the Clinton's are in charge with Obama only as a figure head?
Posted by: BobF at November 19, 2008 10:00 AM
