Eric Holder, 1st Black AG- Not Perfect, but Good.

[FrenchieCat]

Of West Indian Descent

He also credited his West Indian heritage. In a 1993 profile in Legal Times (a sibling publication of The American Lawyer), Holder discussed a college essay he wrote about West Indians. Researching it, he said, helped him understand the origins of his personal drive. "It gave me an interesting perspective on how West Indians were viewed by native blacks ," he said. "They were called the Black Jews because they were shopkeepers and strivers—and they were resented."

From the Bronx

Holder was born in the Bronx and grew up in East Elmhurst, then a mix of middle-class Italians (Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia is from the area) and African Americans. His father sold real estate and his mother worked as a secretary. Neither of his parents went to college but they valued education and encouraged in Holder a strong work ethic. He didn't need much motivation, according to his mother, Miriam Holder. "I think he was always mature beyond his years," she says.

Went to Columbia Law School and Worked for the NAACP

After earning his undergraduate degree in American history, Holder went straight to Columbia Law School, working for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

Worked at the Justice Public Integrity Department

His first job out of law school was with Justice's brand-new Public Integrity Section. Holder, who was accepted to the Justice Department's honors program, had read about the new section in the New York Post and asked the head of personnel for the criminal division to be placed there.

In the wake of Watergate, it was a heady place to be. The original staff of eight lawyers confronted corruption among public officials with the innovative use of mail fraud and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statutes. The talent level in the office was high and the cases were often headline material. At Public Integrity, Holder gained national notice for pursuing corrupt judges in Philadelphia and met some of the lawyers who are today his closest friends, including Reid Weingarten, the Steptoe & Johnson white-collar defense lawyer.

http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202421743636

Not really a Clinton Guy in the true sense

Holder was never especially close to the Clintons, the president or the first lady. He says he was grateful for the appointments he'd received in the Clinton administration and left the Justice Department as "a Clinton guy." But when Obama asked, he was ready to join the rival campaign.

Is Against the Death Penalty

In 1997, upon the spring retirement of Jamie Gorelick, Clinton nominated Holder to be the next Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno. Holder was quickly confirmed several months later in the Senate by a unanimous vote<6>. During his confirmation hearing, Holder's opposition to the death penalty was questioned, but he pledged his intention to cooperate with the current laws and Attorney General Janet Reno, saying, "I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I will enforce the law as this Congress gives it to us."<7> Holder was the first Black American to serve in each of those positions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holder

brought indictment against powerful Democratic House committee chairman who was a Crook!
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n7_v86/ai_15480292

Didn't hold a favorable view on drugs back in 1997. Don't know if his views have changed.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_n15_v13/ai_19340518/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1

Eric Holder was lambasted by the Republican ran House in reference to the Rich Pardon Affair (in other words, he was persecuted for being involved in pardons that were within the right of the departing President, by the opposing party in power)

As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was drawn into controversy surrounding President Clinton's last-minute pardon of fugitive and Democratic contributor Marc Rich. Between November 2000 and January 2001 Jack Quinn, Rich's lawyer and former Clinton White House Counsel from 1995-96, had been contacting Holder, testing the waters for the political viability of a presidential pardon. After presenting his case to Holder in a November phone call and a last minute January 17th letter, Quinn arranged a phone call between the White House and Holder, asking the Deputy Attorney General to share his opinion on the Rich pardon. Ultimately, Holder gave a "neutral, leaning towards favorable" opinion of the pardon to Clinton. During his February testimonies before the House Government Reform Committee <9> and Senate Judiciary Committee, Holder argued his phone call was not intended as a formal Justice Department blessing of the pardon, saying, "my interaction with the White House, I did not view as a recommendation. Because... I didn't have the ability to look at all the materials that had been vetted through the way we normally vet materials." He also did not believe his opinion would be interpreted as a go-ahead for the pardon. "What I said to the White House counsel ultimately was that I was neutral on this because I didn't have a factual basis to make a determination as to whether or not Mr. Quinn's contentions were in fact accurate, whether or not there had been a change in the law, a change in the applicable Justice Department regulations, and whether or not that was something that would justify the extraordinary grant of a pardon." <10> In a 476-page report covering 177 Clinton twilight pardons, the House Government Reform Committee concluded, in part, that Holder had played a significant role in facilitating the Rich pardon, first by pointing Rich legal representatives to the well connected Jack Quinn, and ultimately by delivering a favorable opinion of the pardon to the President from his position of authority. <11>

Justice Department circa 2003 vs.Chiquita -

Read up on the case that Chertoff brought against Chiquita--
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102601.html?hpid=topnews

Eric Holder acted as International defense Attorney to Chiquita
In the agreement, Chiquita's officials pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $25 million.

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. Well, you did sum up all the things we found today

and put them in one place.


He's a professional that's for sure and might help restore professionallism back to Justice.



I do think you should edit and put "brought indictment against powerful a 'Democratic' House committee chairman
who was a crook.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Did. Also I will edit to include the Rich Pardon situation....

I think he will pass mustard in confirmation.....as The Rich Pardon affair was overblown to begin with. Clinton was supposed to be allowed to pardon who he wanted. If I recall, the Rich Objections was a Republican objection more than anything else.

[mod mom]

4. Chiquita & Rich...my hope is dimming.

I am as far from a Republican as you can get and I was APPALLED at the Clinton Marc Rich pardon.

[FrenchieCat]

9. I found the whole affair blown out of proportion myself......

It was as accurately reported on as the presidency of Reagan according to the Republicans.

I'm surprised you were that outraged, considering the fact that the George Bush had just stolen the elections. I considered it a distraction to the Supreme Court travesty myself.

[EFerrari]

13. Then I guess you didn't lose any children to those murders.

[FrenchieCat]

16. I was talking about the Rich Pardon.

And in reference to Chiquita, you need to read a bit more.

There is a reason that it was the Bush Justice Department who prosecuted the case back in 2003,
at a time of that Justice Department's greatest dragnet. Why would the Bush Justice Dept be so gun ho in prosecuting this particular company?

So, we will have to agree to disagree that an attorney is guilty of his client's crimes,
and by extension Obama.

At this point, you have made your point....as you have an entire thread running on this.

[EFerrari]

17. And you will have to settle with your own conscience

why you're so willing to overlook those deaths, and be so suddenly willing to believe anything the Bush Justice Department has to tell you.

And yes, I do have a thread running on this issue. One on which you called me a liar and never took it back despite the evidence.

That's another matter for your conscience to justify -- against all the other threads I put up bashing Obama for no reason.

I will agree to disgree that I'm a liar and also that Mr. Holder is fit to serve as our next AG.

[FrenchieCat]

20. You sound just like the person who told me that Wes Clark was

responsible for the deaths in Kosovo.

Same.exact.difference.

Eric Holder is NOT responsible for the deaths of those you speak of. He came in after the fact, and the firm he defended (in that Chiquita's own workers were being killed, so they paid off the death squad to leave them alone) ended up pleading guilty and paying 25 million dollars, so even using the word "defend" is questionable.

If I called you a liar, I apologize, because I don't recall this. You can provide my quote if you'd like, since you say that I have done this. What I remember saying was that the thread you linked to was a thread meant to smear. and so it was.

[EFerrari]

25. Yes, I sound just like everyone whose opinion is inconvenient for you.

And the thread I put up asked a real question about Obama's positions.

Maybe in your world, politicians shouldn't be asked to account for their positions, let alone, reconcile their positions that are in direct contradiction -- like how you can appoint an AG that defended the killings of union workers when you claim to be against human rights abuses.

Calling my thread a smear doesn't answer the question it raises. Calling real questions "smears" is cheap and easy.

Calling my thread a smear disrespects the deaths of all those union workers.

Maybe you're okay with that. Good for you.

[girl gone mad]

28. It's quite disturbing.

I can understand the need to work within the system. However, the notion of defending the people involved in arguably one of the most heinous corporate crimes of the past quarter century in both the legal and civil trials, doesn't sit well with me.

There are so many great, experienced prosecutors to choose from. Why reward a guy with such questionable ethical principles?

[crispini]

18. "Pass muster" not "pass mustard" FYI. :)

:hi:

Since this is turning into a summary thread maybe should add the bits about his pot stance I read elsewhere? :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

23. I did include an entire article about his drug stance......

it is right above the Rich pardon summary.
It is in bold.

And yes.....muster. English is my second language....so I hit and miss on some of this stuff. :)

[crispini]

26. Thanks, it's a good summary. Bookmarked to read later.

I'm not really a grammar nazi (well, yes I am) ... just thought you'd wanna know. :D

[Candie Date]

21. Pardon me

But do you have any Grey Poupon?

[FrenchieCat]

24. My fave!

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mtnsnake]

5. If Holder isn't really a Clinton guy, as you say, then why did he

play such a major role in Clinton's administration when Holder was credited for being the person most instrumental in getting a pardon for that billionaire crook, Marc Rich?

[FrenchieCat]

10. He wasn't the most instrumental. Read the insert......

And again, I found the whole Rich Pardon situation to be Republicans and its media out to diminish Clinton's legacy as much as possible. I remember clearly that this happened right after Bush had stolen the White House with the assistance of the Supreme Court.

[mtnsnake]

11. Sorry, but according to plenty of experts, he most certainly was. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

12. Who would those experts be?

Please specify!

Again, I saw the Rich Pardon affair from a different Prism.

I considered it a hyped scandal generated by the Republicans and their media......
remember what year this was.

Or else, you agree with World Daily Net and Rush Limbaugh....which I guess could happen.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=8299

[mtnsnake]

14. Dick Morris for one

Morris said that Obama is making his first big mistake by considering Holder, considering how Holder was the main man in getting Rich pardoned. There, I specified. BTW, I don't appreciate the Limbaugh reference.

[FrenchieCat]

15. You think that Dick Morris is any better than Limbaugh??????

Really?

Please seek out the facts.
There is a reason that Holder supported Obama and not Clinton.
Bill Clinton basically outsourced the blame to Holder.
Many know this....even if Dick Morris doesn't.

[mtnsnake]

19. Only you would think someone is equal to Limbaugh just because they worked for Clinton once

Funny though, how you don't feel the same about Holder, who also worked for Clinton because, in your opinion, Holder wasn't really a "Clinton guy", and your opinion is the only opinion that holds water, right? This forum is really hilarious sometimes.

[FrenchieCat]

22. Yes, I put Limbaugh and Morris on the same page based on what they have said.....

not based on who they worked for.

Holder not being a Clinton guy was a quote from the article I cited, not some shit I made up.

There must be a reason that Holder didn't support Hillary Clinton during the primaries, considering that he was such a "Clinton" guy according to you.

[mtnsnake]

27. Morris is no Limbaugh, but I will say that he can be a total asshole

He's not the only one who thinks Holder isn't the best choice, though. There are others if you look, but let's not worry about that for now. I'm not going to argue over something like this.

Personally, the biggest thing I have against Holder is his tough stance on marijuana. That and his role with helping to get Rich pardoned. I hope that the Rich thing doesn't cause Obama difficulty, that's all. Tons of people think Holder is a no-brainer. He'll probably be fine.

[JDPriestly]

31. Holder is a lawyer. In that capacity, he has a duty of loyalty to his clients

He will probably serve Obama loyally.

Here is his Covington (his employer's) blurb on him. Looks excellent to me, but I only know what I see. There may be problems that I don't know about.

Mr. Holder is a litigation partner who handles, among other matters, complex civil and criminal cases, domestic and international advisory matters and internal corporate investigations.

During his professional career, Mr. Holder has held a number of significant positions in government. Upon graduating from Columbia Law School, he moved to Washington, DC and joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General's Honors Program. He was assigned to the newly formed Public Integrity Section in 1976 and was tasked to investigate and prosecute official corruption on the local, state and federal levels. While at the Public Integrity Section, Mr. Holder participated in a number of prosecutions and appeals involving such defendants as the Treasurer of the state of Florida, the Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, a local judge in Philadelphia, an Assistant United States Attorney in New York City, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a "capo" in an organized crime family in Pennsylvania.

In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was confirmed by the Senate and his investiture occurred in October of that year. Over the next five years, Judge Holder presided over hundreds of civil and criminal trials and matters. Many of the trials involved homicides and other crimes of violence.

In 1993, President Clinton nominated Mr. Holder to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was confirmed later that year and served as the head of the largest United States Attorneys office in the nation for nearly four years. He was the first black person to serve in that position. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Holder created a Domestic Violence Unit to more effectively handle those types of tragic cases, implemented a community prosecution project to work hand in hand with residents and local government agencies in order to make neighborhoods safer, supported a renewed enforcement emphasis on hate crimes so that criminal acts of intolerance would be severely punished, developed a comprehensive strategy to improve the manner in which agencies handled cases involving the abuse of children, launched a community outreach program to reconnect the U.S. Attorney's office with the citizens it serves, revitalized the Victim/Witness Assistance Program to better serve those individuals who were directly affected by crime and developed "Operation Ceasefire," an initiative designed to reduce violent crime by getting guns out of the hands of criminals.

http://www.cov.com/eholder/

I think he is a person who is capable of serving loyally but also capable of independent judgment depending on what is appropriate under the circumstances. Clearly a large number of very responsible people have deemed him worthy of trust.

Lawyers represent their clients. Many lawyers genuinely want to help people. It's good to have a lawyer like Holder who has worked on both the prosecution/plaintiff and defense sides.

A defense lawyer like Holder (who has also served as a prosecutor) is bound to represent a few bad guys along the way. But, remember, bad guys need good representation too. I know that is hard for non-lawyers to understand, but part of a lawyer's job is to be willing to represent bad people.

I remember sitting around with a bunch of first year lawyers talking about what cases we wouldn't want to represent. The only ones that came to my mind were tobacco companies, but I'm not so sure that I would even rule them out now.

Sometimes a court is like a mighty jaw that just devours the poor little folk (and big corporations) that seek its mercy. Everyone deserves representation. Being a lawyer can be very depressing because sometimes a lawyer tries to do everything to help a client, but there is just nothing to be done. And, the job that lawyers do is not understood or appreciated by the public. I remember how mean some DUers were about Edwards just because he was a lawyer.

Holder looks like a person with intelligence, compassion and integrity -- at first glance. We shall see.

[riverwalker]

6. I like this part

Not really a Clinton Guy in the true sense

Holder was never especially close to the Clintons, the president or the first lady. He says he was grateful for the appointments he'd received in the Clinton administration and left the Justice Department as "a Clinton guy." But when Obama asked, he was ready to join the rival campaign.

[sandnsea]

7. Ah, Chiquita case = must hire Blackwater

Clearly any mercernaries who aren't US mercernaries are terrorists - and clearly the only "freedom fighters" that exist are the ones approved by the Green Party.

Put Chiquita on the Bush Terrorist Bullshit list.

And we're left with a screw-up on Marc Rich, that I don't think he instigated anyway.

He'll be okay.

[pdxmom]

8. Was reading over on Politico in the Arena section, and one of the

contributors brought out what I think is a great point that I hadn't thought about in regards to the AG position:

"On the other hand, given the close personal relationship between president-elect Obama and Eric Holder--and given Obama's certain interest, considering his legal and academic career in contstitutional issues--naming a friend at Justice suggests he wants a strong ally to direct the that department where a good many Bush-holdover issues will need to be sorted out--whether it's Gauntanimo, presidential power, or the politicization of district attorney postions, whether it's rendition and coercive interrogation practices abroad or the state of civil liberties at home. And these are just the Top of the Pops issues."

http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/David_Biespiel_9493560C-BE98-4819-8528-C471481BFB7E.html

Obama needs someone he can trust implicitly in that position. Not just qualified, but with impeccable credentials in trustworthiness and loyalty. The Justice Department was destroyed by Gonzales and there will be slime in every corner that have to be cleared out. Holder isn't really a Clintonite, and I don't see this as more of the same. I see this choice as someone Obama can trust to clear out one of the most screwed up sections of the executive branch and put back all the pieces of the Constitution that Cheney, Bush and Company have shredded.

[Gregorian]

29. Another great post. I am really appreciating DU.

Thanks. I was getting down before I knew more about this appointment.

I'm all smiles again. :)

And it's pretty impressive to watch Obama at work.

[democracy1st]

30. K & R