"Waterboarding is torture"

This was in the answer to the first question of Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder at his confirmation hearing.

How long have we waited for someone official to say that.

I know some have called into question Holder's work as a private attorney. He's a private attorney at a major law firm, and he's good. He's not going to get do-good cases. He's going to get corporate work for not-so-nice corporations. The man is giving up a 2 million dollar salary. Nobody's going to make that kind of money doing the kind of law that makes people feel good.

I had a discussion with a friend of mine this week. She's an Obama skeptic. She asked me honestly what I thought we'd get out of an Obama Administration. I told her that I thought we will be well on our way to Universal Healthcare. And, that there would be a restoration of belief in The Justice Department. I believed Holder as Attorney General is a good step in that direction.

The Republicans tried to grill him over the pardon of Marc Rich. While I always thought it was wrong, the bottom line is that Bubba had the right to pardon whomever he wanted, and at the end of the term, Holder fulfilled his duties at The Justice Department. And, if the pardon of one crook is all the GOP has on him, then Holder isn't a bad choice at all.

What upsets the GOP about Holder isn't his time at The Justice Department. It was what he did beforehand - going after crooks with a vengeance. I honestly asked my friend, who is bloodthirsty about nailing Republicans that she needs to pick a group. The horrifying thing about the past 8 years is that there is so much to choose from. It's a daunting prospect; I'm one that wants 'Justice'. But, where do you start? Where do you begin? Do you realize how, from top to bottom, The Justice Department has been gutted, infected with incompent GOP cronies, and the rule of law has been turned on its head?

I believe the investigations are necessary because we need to have it on record as to what they did to this country. I believe this country is owed that. I believe they need to be exposed for who they were and the harm they infliced on us over the past 8 years.

Despite the whining of the GOP, I believe Holder will be confirmed, and with a nice amount of GOP votes.

And then, the next Attorney General can go about the business of being THE PEOPLE'S LAWYER.

Some Holder video on FISA:




Holder's family supporting him during the hearings.

Eric Holder - The Next Attorney General of the United States

And the first Black American Attorney General.

Despite my hesitance...i'm actually feeling good about this choice. Eric Holder was the first person I thought of as an AG possibility, even when Obama was still competing for the Democratic nomination. I almost did a post on Eric Holder months ago, but I never got around to writing it.

He later became a second choice, after I read about the possible skeletons that would be raised about his activities in the Clinton Administration. But he is still an excellent choice. He has the experience for the job, and in particular, he has a background as a Prosecutor in the Justice Department. I think he would repair much of the damage left behind by Gonzo and others.... and he will correct all the gutting of voting rights and civil rights offices, will hopefully get to the bottom of the U.S. attorney firings, will hopefully prevent the politicization of the Justice Department (the way Republicans used it), will correct the Bush Administration practice of using unqualified political people in important positions to interfere with DOJ activities, and will restore the integrity of the U.S. Constitution.

He's also incredibly sharp... I can't wait to see him in the job. Blacks, and Black youth in particular, will get a two for one.... :). Another reason to be proud.

This is the first decent Obama pick.

Now the challenge will be getting him through the confirmation process.

I still believe that someone like a Patrick Fitzgerald would have been an outstanding choice too... and it probably would have been a safer one. He may end up being an Asst. AG.

I'm still not happy about all the Clinton appointees though... but as this case indicates, a few are probably o.k. (and were expected). The issue will be... just how many Clinton appointees will get positions in the new Government. 2 or 3 are o.k... But Obama has reached or surpassed that number already. I'm still afraid that we are headed for "The Clinton Administration 2.0".