Lawyer over at "FDL" comments on Eric Holder....(Marc Rich and Chiquita Banana)

[KoKo]

Holder? Why, oh, why?
By: looseheadprop Tuesday November 18, 2008 1:00 pm

holder-eric.thumbnail.jpg

I think I am having an aneurysm. Why in the name of all that is sensible would Barack Obama want a Clinton re-tread as AG? Not just any Clinton re-tread, nope, the brain trust behind the Marc Rich pardon. Do you know how many brilliant, talented lawyers with great judgment he has advising his campaign?

And if he wanted to look behind his campaign volunteers how many brilliant talented lawyers with excellent DOJ experience and sterling judgement --and impeccable Dem credentials if he was feeling partisan--there are to chose from?

Why choose someone with this kind of credibility shattering baggage? Did he not notice what happens when you have craven toadies in the AG slot? Alberto Gonzales ring any bells?

If Holder was not able to speak truth to power about the Marc Rich pardon, how will soon to be President Obama expect Holder to give him the unvarnished advice he will need? How can he expect a guy with that kind of credibility deficit to heal DOJ and attract the kind of people who can restore DOJ to its former reputation for integrity?

Look, I heard Holder was some kind of friend of Obama's. Fine, invite the guy over for dinner at the White House, include in him your weekly card game, send him a really nice Christmas card, but DOJ needs a person without baggage, who can command the respect and admiration of the people still working there and the new troops and management you need to attract. It needs someone who can hit the ground running and will enjoy a honeymoon period, not someone whose mere name conjures up visions of bad judgment and back room deals.

Mr. President elect? You could have done so much better. And you had so much to chose from.

Update: Picking Holder will also complicate the vetting process for Hillary Clinton for Secy of State. Why buy trouble for two nominees?

http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/18/holder-why-oh-why/

[Skwmom]

1. Oh come on. He's a great pick. I think expecting a qualified individual with

a reputation for integrity to be selected as AG is really asking too much. Obama supporters are WAY too demanding. Doesn't this lawyer understand how the political process works?

[KoKo]

2. lol's....

I imagine Obama has great affection for Holder...or maybe Rahm and Hillary have great affection for him. I also wonder about Holder's role in getting Dan Rostenkowski out which sort of helped bring in Gingrich's reign and fucked up Clinton's early years. (kind of weird how that one works out if they were pushing him)

Just think of the Repugs like Delay and others who did far worse than Rostenkowski did with his trading "postage money" for ashtrays and furniture.

And, surely the RW will have a field day with "Marc Rich" all over again. OTOH...maybe the Repugs will be happy that Holder's pick means BushCo will skate. :shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Isn't Hillary Clinton just as connected to Mark Rich as Holder is?

If not more so?

[leftchick]

4. yeah it sucks

and where the fuck exactly is the "change"?

[NYCGirl]

5. Well, I heard he wanted Judge Judy but she wouldn't take the cut in pay. NT

[Taverner]

6. Compared to everything the Bush Admin has done, you're upset about the Mark Rich pardon?

Huh?

That was small fries

Nothing

A blip on the moral radar

No one died or went broke because Mark Rich was pardoned

I cannot say the same for the Bush Admin

[KoKo]

8. Do you remember the huge outcry from the Right when Rich was Pardoned and even some on the Left?

You gotta be kidding if you don't remember that one. I think that "FDL Lawyer" makes a good point about tying together Chaquita Banana and then Rich and an other DU poster mentions Holder's involvement with Danny Rostenkowski's flap up over post office funding of furniture and ashtrays that allowed the Gingrich Congress to TAKE OVER. Rostenkowski was probably the last Dem with "BALLS" we will ever see. They took him down yet Tom Delay with his massive crookedness gets airtime whenever he wants it.

It's possible Obama agrees with Pelosi and Reid that we need to "MOVE ON." But, I think there are many Obama supporters who would be upset with this appointment and many on the RIGHT who see this as a way to go after Obama for HYPOCRISY! That's what "LooseHeadProp" was trying to say, I think. :shrug:

[Missy Vixen]

7. looseheadprop rocks the free world

I listen to EVERYTHING she says. If she's dismayed about this, Mr. Obama's going to have a doubly hard time selling it to anyone that can read, let alone do a Google search.

Mr. President-Elect, this is not a good choice.

Julie

[KoKo]

9. ...I wonder how many "other lawyers" out there..ACLU, Constitution, and whatever

who are on their Blackberries tonight discussing this very bizarre pick from Obama. Following on the heels of the "Lieberman Restoration" it would seem a signal to many of the folks who supported Obama that it's "BUSINESS AS USUAL" and getting along with "REID AND PELOSI" is more important than taking care of one's BASE...at "this point.".............At "this point."

PRAGMATISM to the ULTIMATE!

[KoKo]

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