You may recall that some of us here at FDL have been trying to point out to President Elect Obama that Eric Holder may not be the best choice for AG. [That link will take you to a post with links to a whole bunch of posts]
Not just for the Marc Rich pardon, but also for his handling of the Chiquita payments to terrorists case. There is a disturbing pattern in his behavior of going around the normal rules to get special treatment for the rich and already over privileged.
Some of our commenters pointed out that we were out here all alone, simply howling into the wind.
Well, I’m feeling a little less lonely today. Richard Cohen has a piece in today’s WaPo. The money quote?
But the pardon cannot be excepted. It suggests that Holder, whatever his other qualifications, could not say no to power. The Rich pardon request had power written all over it — the patronage of important Democratic fundraisers, for instance. Holder also said he was "really struck" by the backing of Rich by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the possibility of "foreign policy benefits that would be reaped by granting the pardon." This is an odd standard for American justice, but more than that, what was Holder thinking? That U.S.-Israeli relations would suffer? Holder does not sound naive. He sounds disingenuous.
Holder sounded just as disingenuous when he told a House committee that he did not "reflexively oppose" the pardon of a fugitive because "I had previously supported a successful pardon request for a fugitive, Preston King." King, a black civil rights activist, chose to be tried for draft evasion in 1961 rather than submit to what he considered racist treatment. After his conviction, he fled to Europe. The two cases are not in the least similar.
As noted, any person is entitled to make a mistake. But no one is entitled to be attorney general. That’s a post that ought to be reserved for a lawyer who appreciates that while he reports to the president, he serves the people. This dual obligation was beyond the ken of George W. Bush’s attorney general once removed, Alberto Gonzales, whose idea of telling truth to power came down to saying "Yes, sir. Yes, sir." On Guantanamo, domestic spying and Bush’s "l’État c’est moi" view of the presidency, Gonzales was a cipher, and the damage of his tenure still needs to be repaired.
Go read the whole thing.
Eric Lichtbau and David Johnston have one of their typically well investigated stories in today’s NYTimes. There are lots of new details. They have even managed to document a story I heard around Foley Square, namely, that Eric Holder told Rich’s people to hire Jack Quinn, and that they did so, and then Holder and Quinn cooked up a variety of attempts to get Rich what he wanted, to the chagrin of USAO SDNY, then held by Mary Jo White. The story I heard was a bit different. The version I heard was that Scooter Libby was told by Holder to hire Jack Quinn during a phone conversation when Libby called up to complain about SDNY not being willing to play ball. So, maybe he made the suggestion twice? Dunno. Maybe something for Eric and David to follow up on?
At a corporate dinner in November 1998, Mr. Holder was seated at a table with a public-relations executive named Gershon Kekst, who had been trying to help Mr. Rich resolve his legal troubles.
When Mr. Kekst learned that his dinner companion was the deputy attorney general, he proceeded to bring up the case of an unnamed acquaintance who had been “improperly indicted by an overzealous prosecutor,” according to the Congressional inquiry.
A person in that situation, Mr. Holder advised, should “hire a lawyer who knows the process, he comes to me, we work it out.” Mr. Kekst wanted to know if Mr. Holder could suggest a lawyer. Mr. Holder pointed to a former White House counsel sitting nearby. “There’s Jack Quinn,” he said. “He’s a perfect example.”
[my bold] How does Holder know he’s going to "work it out" BEFORE he even knows what the case is about? Oh, and later in the article, there is a claim that the case is an example of Rudy Giuliani being overzealous. No, not Rudy. Hell, Rudy left before the Clinton Admin even began. There were two USA’s — Benito Romano and Otto Obermier — between him and Mary Jo, so any Holder spin about an overcharge by Rudy is bullfeathers. That indictment was reviewed by 3 subsequent US Attorneys, and it was Democrat Mary Jo White that Holder stabbed in the back with his end run around her authority.
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LHD, you may want to correct article to Richard Cohen @ WaPo
Thanks, LHP.
Very interesting-the timing of these articles.
now why wouldn’t they go to the most current and accurate information for referance?
of course they would
thanks loosehead. fm plane
Ha! Cohen concludes:
“Holder was involved, passively or not, in just the sort of inside-the-Beltway influence peddling that Barack Obama was elected to end. He is not one of Obama’s loathed lobbyists; he was merely their instrument — a good man, certainly, who just as certainly did a bad thing. Maybe he deserves an administration job, just not the one he’s getting.” (my bold)
Cohen’s been a whipping boy here at FDL for many years. Interesting that his columns seem to have grown a spine lately. Why now? Don’t get me wrong, any administration needs to be held accountable. But after Cohen’s shameless groveling during the W years, why has he decided to toughen his rhetoric now?
The responsibility for the pardon of Rich rests with solely with the Clintons. That includes hiring the likes of Holder and telling Holder what to do. Now we have Obama and an agenda totally different from the Clintons. I judge Holder, in part, in comparision to Zoe Baird, Kimba Wood and Janet Reno. He is more qualified than any of those nominations and appointments.
Now Obama is in damage control with the appointment of the Clintons to SOS. Is anyone seriously worried about Holder with Obama at the top?
Q ..why do the FDL grown-up choices seem better than the ‘elected and crowned’ choices?
A ..I don’t know but they are.
So will Rachel and KO keep avoiding this story? We need tv coverage!
Cause we Won?
Did Obama have to be elected to become stupid..Is he now becoming a major FU?
narcissism
I don’t understand why everyone gets themselves all in a lather over pardons. Unless we amend the constitution, the pardon power is absolute.
all he had to do is not do what everyone here wants, then obviously he’s stupid
Yeah getting pardons to crooks who give cash to death squads that kill brown people is a permanent trust killer in my book.
LHP must have been feeling very lonely if she is relieved that Richard Cohen agrees with her.
Was impressed to see NYT story. This may take the Rich pardon off of being a partisan issue.
Yeah, it’s quite obvious that all the faults and the fall of Western Civilization are to be laid at the feet of the Clintons and no one else is ever to be said to have done any wrong.
Well, of course. I’ve known that for a long time. /s
http://www.portfolio.com/news-…..ath-Squads
Holder arranged the pardon Obama in a debate with McCain said no to a free trade with Columbia deal because of the death squads killing Union members McCain you might recall made a strange face in response.
Also lots of Hispanic voters don’t like death squads, Unions don’t like it when Union organizers are killed and the GOP well they love it.
They will use this against Obama.
yes, lots of people here are worried. me? not so much. i just don’t want there to be a huge fight over this right now. he should back down.
do you like holder at AG?
Um, exactly how is he more qualified? Because he is better at skating rich people and terrorist aiding and abetting corporations? Holder has held a lot of lofty positions; however, I have not seen that he has ever shown much in the way of skills other than throwing around his influence. Ever heard anyone from DOJ that worked with him gush about his mad skills as an attorney? No. Of course you haven’t. There is a reason for that.
Hey if a Tool like him is against it then Obama better wake up the GOP is already making this a political issue.
The wheels are starting to turn and since we are against this Obama is then relying on DLC support only for this one, lets keep making our objections known and see what kind of clout the DLC really has.
Frankly, I like what Obama has done. The Clintons will be out of the Senate (and away from finally getting healthcare passed) and placed in a tight squeeze between General Jones and Susan Rice. If they fu, they get fired. Is that a possibility?
And then you can support them in ‘12 or anytime thereafter that you want to. You can even say that Holder is responsible for the Rich pardon and the Clintons are not.
Agreed. The Rich pardon can be explained away as “business as usual, so whaddya gonna do?”
Death squads? Not so much.
Is the link broken?
actually, joe digenova loves the guy.
Not relieved that Richard Cohen agrees with me, but not feeling quite so much like the tree falling in the forest with no one to hear me.
i can explain it and i believe he will try to but it’s a no win situation.
What do you want for AG, a trial lawyer? It’s an admininistrative position. When was the last time we had an AG who tried a case? Reno as a prosecutor (pass on her experience). I worked at the Justice Department during law school, booooooooring. The action is is in the USA offices. Give this Holder thing a break
So when you say “the Clintons will be out of the Senate” do you state that they are a single entity with only one brain? Or is it that you think Bill is the Svengali and HRC is incapable of thinking and doing actions for herself?
Actually, I’d think you would be overjoyed at having HRC as SoS, that way, she’s still around for you to blame for whatever bad happens in the world for the next four years.
All the blame and none of the credit for possible good things.
Yeah, cudos from Vicky Toesuck’s husband is just the kind of endoresement that we should all rely on./S/
In all fairness the guy is a great fixer the local papers print your name if you get a DUI if you steal etc Holder got his client no mention all in the press. Fixers arrange things that are not quite legal or legally possible normally for cash.
But we can’t prove that yet. Still anybody who can keep the name of the guy at Chiquita Banana out of the press entirely for giving cash to death squads when real lawyers can’t help you out with that even for something as minor as shoplifting suggests a fix was in.
Someone big wanted it to happen Holder just arranged things.
No, I won’t give Holder a fucking break, he is wrong for the job at this time. You bet I want somebody with a little trial experience. And the administrative part is exactly my biggest gripe about Holder. That is precisely why I wanted Janet Napolitano to be AG she not only has superb experience, but she is an absolute proven master at restoring broken bureaucracies and instilling competence and esprit de corps. Holder’s reputation is as a suck up beat down asshole to the career people. This is precisely why he is the wrong person.
The DOJ does a lot of other things besides prosecute cases and with the allocation of resources what is gone after and prosecuted is affected.
just wanted the record ta be straiight. :)
Why is the Rich pardon getting the mention in the tv news and Death Squads nothing? Is the Fix in?
They are equally responsible for 8 wasted years, no healthcare and no energy policy worth a damn. Just petty indulgences and self promotion. When was the last time we had an ex-president who was a disbarred lawyer and deserved that status? Every reasonable expectation and hope for improvement under their administration was dashed by their lack of discipline and indulgences.
That would be my interpretation. That’s my cynical view of these articles too. Make a little fuss about one of Obama’s Dream Team, then confirm them all. Kabuki.
fix is in but i heard the issue discussed here in sd on pbs a day or so ago.
Not to scare you or anyting, but I saw an article this morning (Times? ) about Bill being onthe short list to be appointed to Hillary’s seat.
THAT would drive a lot of people crazy. I suppose you included.
I agree with you about Janet Napolitano. She would have been better. But Holder will be ok.
Did you see that Lowey withdrew from consideration?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..41919.html
Interesting all this drama about Hillary Clinton and then this Holder guy is morally compromised from the get go; don’t hear much of anything about him…’til recently.
Frankly, I’m disgusted at the left’s Clinton haters, most of whom were too young when he was prez to understand how good US had it then.
I credit Bill Clinton’s domestic policies for saving my life, since he strengthened the safety net for all Americans and if I ‘d needed the surgery I got in 1996 now, I would have been told to go die somewhere nobody could smell me. I’ve got a soft spot for ol’ Bill.
Nobody’s hands are sterile, nobody. But it seems the cool thing to hate the Clintons these days. I guess I’m not that cool.
If Gingrich and crew hadn’t been stuffed into Congress with their “Contract on America” to block everything Clinton tried to do, we wouldn’t have had so much to bit*h about. People’s memories are short mostly or nonexistant; mine are not.
As I am from New York, it is ok for “Bill” to be on the shortlist because he cares too much about nothing to take a Senate seat as a junior senartor from New York and it will not happen. Nope, he will continue with the 250k and up speeches and whatever else fills his time. But it won’t be in the US Senate.
Slight of hand attract attention with one hand while the other unwatched hand pulls the con.
Sure, the Bush DOJ wanted it all put to bed; and Holder was only too happy to conspire with them to do just that. Rod Hills is a very powerful supporter and player with George Bush, as is his wife Carla Hills in her own right. They were protected at the expense of the rule of law and the shareholders of Chiquita. Holder’s work was a fraud upon his purported client, the company Chiquita itself and the shareholders. Instead of representing them, like he was hired to do, he protected only the powerful Bush friends and their fellow criminals running Chiquita and hung the company and shareholders out to dry.
Me too! Who needs all of the drama
Cause MSM LOVES LOVES LOVES Clinton scandals.
BTW, we have documented proff of Holder having 15 months of invovlement in the Rich affair, how much direct invovlement, other than signing did BigDawg have?
I know Rich’s ex-wife was donor to the library, but do we have the same kind of trail of emails and stuff for Clinton that we do for Holder?
Could it be that the Fran Fragos Townsend (It came in at the last minute and Eric didn’t have time to think it through)spin is the opposite of what happened? Could it be that it came in a stack to Clinton and he signed them in reliance on Holder’s “leaning in favor” endoresement?
Did Big Dawg take an unfair rap for Holder? Damn, I’m gonna have to go read the Congressional hearing reports now.
That should be a question at his confirmation hearing:)
I am not all that comfortable citing Richard — harass the intern — Cohen as a savant.
the man is a stopped clock.
Lowey a) is 71 and won’t be around in the senate long enough to amass the kind of senority she would be giving up in the House.
b) I don’t know if she can raise that kind of money for re-election
I didn’t realize she’s that old. Staying in her powerful House seat makes all the sense in the world at that age. Google is my friend. *g*
BTW, I think I read that on Politico and, of course, they pointed out neither her age nor the fund raising hurdles. Just another case where the lefty blogs win. Thanks.
What do we know about Fran is she a spinner or maybe an unwitting spinee of the news? How would she be in a position to know for sure?
We watch him for cues to see what the GOP will do next. The GOP all repeat the exact same talking points at the exact same time after all sometimes guys like him spill the beans early and so we are fore warned.
In a lot of ways, the Chiquita thing bothers me even more than the Rich ting, though both involve stabbing inthe back the entity Holder owed his allegiance to. In the case of the Rich pardon, he put doing favors for the rich and powerful (and getting a new client for jack Quinn–a guy he later hit up for some jobs for Holder’s subordiantes at DOJ) ahead of backing up one of his USA’s.
Int he case of the Chiquita thing, he put the desires of high ranking employees of Chiquita ahead of his fiduciary duty to his client, the corporation, and let the corporation take the hit to save the asses of the people who actually committed the crims.
And to do this, he had to get the Bush era DOJ to circumvent it own rules (int he Thompson and McNulty memeos) about not letting the corp take the hit instead fo the people.
Tres cozy, no?
Actually, for most of the shortlisters, I think fundraising.statewide campaigning ability is, or should be, a big factor.
Whomever patterson appoints will have to start their re-election campaign almost immediatly and at the same time learn how to be a senator. Talk about a steep learning curve!
So, someone who already has statewide campaigning and fundraising experience has a certain natural advantage in the deliberations.
Conflict of interest disclosure.
I used to work with Fran Fragos, we never got along, I found her to be a kiss up, kick down (or even kick laterally if she thought you would never be in a position to boost her career).
Not a team player in my experience, also, just not pleasant to be around. I genuinely dislaike her a person, so my opinions where she is concerend should always be a bit suspect.
Nope it fits with a news spinners personality but who is she spinning for is the next question?
SOme folks have speculated that she was
lying through her teethspinning for Holder b/c she wants him to give her a job at DOJ.Heh, I just used suck up, kick down to describe Holder somewhere else. Having DiGenova, Toensing and Franny Frag vouch for Holder is simply inherently disqualifying all by itself if you ask me….
Oh Bmaz, we don’t do guilt by association, that’s a GOP card trick.
But, I have to admit that’s a pretty skanky group of supporters
36 – Chiquita runs ads.
IMO, the biggest issue on the Chiquita deal isn’t that he got a good deal for his client, but that it very much looks like Chertoff may have been involved in contacts with Chiquita that should be investigated. How does that look, to have the AG either overseeing quashing any investigation, or having to recuse on a corruption investigation that might involve his personal knowledge of improper contacts?
I’m agnostic on Holder, bc I don’t really have a good feel for how the country gets anything all that good (on torture PROSECUTIONS, illegal detentions, unconstitutional wiretapping, etc. fronts) from Obama. He pretty much painted his wagon with his FISA legislation vote, and his picks have to lockstep on that or else he starts out of the gate looking ridiculous. He’s already put the box around a whole handful of the issues that were the only ones that had me voting Dem anyway.
I also don’t buy that it was “lefty blogs” that derailed Brennan’s bid for intel. Obama has had Tenet’s co-torture boy in the fold all this time – there was an influence that had nothing whatsoever to do with the convenient “lefty blog” scapegoats that caused him to be derailed. I’m thinking some hard feelings from overseas sources, esp as the British high court is possibly on the brink of releasing still more US related torture evidence and the UK’s AG, Scotland, has at least been given the formal (if not substantive) request to investigate the MI5 and CIA connections on torture.
61 – I notice that, along with not mentioning her role as a loyal Bushie for 7years, when they pull her up as a commentor, the 24 hour newsies also omit Townsend’s purported ties with the big FBI/FISA court scandal, wherein the court determined that there had been, “false information given by the FBI in dozens of wiretap applications to the FISA court” and the court blamed Townsend, who was the doj gatekeeper at the time.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/n…..send_3.htm
God, I love when mary gets all details..
Really, I look forward to this so much. Between you and Marcy with the steel trap memories….. I’m smiling right now.
Wow, nice catch, I have never seen that article before–though I had heard the story that she got sent to Coast Guard as punishment for her bahavior with teh FISA court. The article has details.
I love the details.