Holder: My Marc Rich screw-up makes me a better AG nominee!
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Watching the Holder nomination hearing. Sen. Pat Leahy just asked him to explain what he learned from the Marc Rich pardon fiasco.
Transcribing quickly here:
HOLDER: I made mistakes and my conduct, my actions in the rich matter, were the place where I made mistakes. I appeared before two congressional cmts and said that. Never tried to hide or blame anybody else. Given oppty to do differently, I would have. I should have not spoken to white house without knowing all the facts. It was the most intense, searing experience I ever had as a lawyer. I’ve learned from that experience and as perverse as this might sound, I will be a better AG having had the marc rich experience. It’s not typical of the way I’ve conducted myself as careful lawyer. I’ve learned from that mistake.
LEAHY: And Bill Clinton issued the pardon, not you.
But, you know, he’s not blaming anyone else. Way to take responsibility.
Here’s some good reading while they drone on: Justice Undone: Clemency Decisions in the Clinton White House . An excerpt:
Eric Holder and Jack Quinn worked together to cut the Justice Department out of the decisionmaking process.
Holder’s decision to support the pardon had a critical impact.
Jack Quinn and Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder worked together to ensure that the Justice Department, especially the prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, did not have an opportunity to express an opinion on the Rich pardon before it was granted. The evidence amassed by the Committee indicates that Holder advised Quinn to file the Rich pardon petition with the White House, and leave the Justice Department out of the process. One e- mail produced to the Committee suggests that Holder told Quinn to “go straight to wh,” and that the “timing is good.” The evidence also indicates that Holder failed to inform the prosecutors under him that the Rich pardon was under consideration, despite the fact that he was aware of the pardon effort for almost two months before it was granted.
Eric Holder’s support of the Rich pardon played a critical role in the success of the pardon effort. Holder informed the White House that he was “neutral, leaning towards favorable” on the Rich pardon, even though he knew that Rich was a fugitive from justice, and that Justice Department prosecutors viewed Rich with such contempt that they would no longer meet with his lawyers. Holder has failed to offer any credible justification for his support of the Rich pardon, leading the Committee to believe that Holder had other motivations for his decision, which he has failed to share with the Committee.
Eric Holder was seeking Jack Quinn’s support to be appointed as Attorney General in a potential Gore Administration, and this may have affected Holder’s judgment in the Rich matter. On several occasions, Holder sought out Quinn’s endorsement to be appointed as Attorney General if Al Gore were to win the November 2000 election. Quinn was a Gore confidant whose endorsement would carry great weight. Holder’s initial help to Quinn in the Rich matter predated the Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore, and accordingly, Holder had some legitimate prospect of being appointed Attorney General when he was helping Quinn keep the Rich matter from the Justice Department’s scrutiny. While Holder denies
that his desire to be appointed Attorney General had anything to do with his actions in the Rich matter, it provides a much clearer and more believable motivation than any offered by Holder to date.
10:54am Eastern. Arlen Specter just finished questioning Holder about the Rich decision. We got a few “I don’t knows” and “I don’t recalls” and “It’s hard for me to explains” out of Holder.
Underwhelming. Anyone else see it?
***
Oh, and I suppose his ties to Blago also make him a better AG.
Update 11:03am Eastern. Sen. Kohl asks the vitally important question facing our nation: Will Holder promise to beat Obama in basketball? Entire room erupts in laughter. Holder soaks up the love.
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Trackbacks
- NY GOP: We’re Not Dead Yet! « JoHNBRoDiGaNDoTCoM
- AG nom Holder: Marc Rich pardon makes me better « Wellsy’s World
- Hold on, Mr. Holder… « The Rhetorican
- Dan Cleary
- Michelle Malkin » Holder moves forward: Screw up, move up
- Michelle Malkin » The U.S. Department of Injustice
- Obama’s Organized Crime Syndicate: ACORN, CCI, SEIU, TARP, GE, Cap and Trade?–Video Exposé « Pronk Palisades
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Chicago Way Update: Michelle Obama’s $300,000 per year job eliminated. This is the same hospital that got a million dollar earmark from BO when he was a senator.
So Holder’s screw-ups will make him a better AG. And Geithner’s tax screw-ups will make him a better Treasury Secretary? Alas, this doesn’t work any place besides politics. My bad golf screw-up shots do not make me a better golfer
Now can all defendants in Federal courts use that excuse? Fair is fair. Next bro Holder needs to explain facilitating the $100 million protection money paid to Colombian terrorist by his client Chiquita Foods. Just one more dirty Clintonite going broBama.
For our trolls this feed is from your favorite PMSNBC.
Typical liberal mind set . . . being a crook myself gives me great insight into the criminal community.
Incredible!
If he had had those mis-steps early in his career, then his argument is possible. But not at his level when the mistakes were made.
For the good of the Republic, he needs to be taken very, very far from government and kept away.
Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to take these guys seriously? Our entire government is a joke. I believe I am becoming a seccessionist.
Will Holder promise to uphold the laws of the United States and stand up to the B.O. when he violates them?
I’ll bet the answer to both is, No.
Are there any Republicans in the room?
My God, it’s like watching the confirmation hearings in North Korea or the Soviet Union.
Do we have an opposition party?
Is it me or is that a racist comment by implying that all African-Americans play basketball? Oh wait, it’s only racist if a conservative says it.
What scares me more than anything else about Holder is his view on the 2nd amendment. I don’t understand why the NRA isn’t going after him.
L
Are these people drunk? Do they not care how crass their behavior is?
It’s a good thing for them the only thing more prevalent than voter apathy is voter ignorance.
I’m horrible at basketball, and fail at it quite regularly.
That’s why I think I’d be perfect for the NBA and their monstrous salaries.
and Holder said:
“I know some of you guys are still mad about the Marc Rich thing, but my gawd, he was forced to live in Switzerland. Do you know what it’s like over there. All that rich food, the cold winters, the morbid social life. Bill and I just decided that the man had suffered enough. There is a limit to the torture the judicial system should put a man through and you know I am on record as opposing torture”.
RAAAACIST!
Why is it that every time I read something about one of Obama’s fellow “change artists” it just seems like Bill Clinton is “getting the band back together” and in a few weeks, he’ll be playing the sax, getting fellated in the Oval Office and lighting up a fatty in the Lincoln Bedroom?
Hopechange looks like Clintonocracy to me.
No. Thank. You.
Reference the election results 2008. The answer is, NO.
Incompetance you can believe in!!!
Evolution must be a fact…if you look closely, you can see the backbones disappear from the republican party.
Did anyone see Sean’s report on Holder and his dealings with Chiquita, on last night’s Hannity? It was an excellent piece but, with all due respect to Sean and FNC, there was little in it that MM hasn’t already covered here on her blog.
It’s one big joke but the American people deserve no less. They asked for this. Now they are getting it. Wait until those tax bills start rolling in and things don’t pan out like The One said they would. Then “change” won’t seem so vogue.
Words. Just words.
I’d say something, but I’d be labeled a racist.
What Holder probably learned from the Rich case is to not leave your finger prints on anything or your name. Mum’s the word!
Holder being confirmed in 3…2…1
No discussion needed..big stamp of approval. He’s got all the right stuff for the Obama administration!
Holder was also up to his neck in some funny business involving Chiquita bananas. I don’t know the details.
This is the best cabinet in hisotry? Slimiest maybe, but that’s about it.
I caught a little bit of the remarks being by Senator Warner, some nonsense about bipartisanship on Holder’s part. The thought crossed my mind it would be unnecessary for the Shadow to cloud his old RINO mind. For the whippersnappers, the Shadow is an old radio program character.
It doesn’t just sound perverse, it is perverse.
Fly – but they ARE opposed to waterboarding…
I tuned in for a few minutes, but I can’t watch this fiasco, so thank you, Michelle for doing the dirty work. I am going to turn on the Rush show and get pumped. From what little I saw, it looks like a love fest in there, especially compared to how they grilled the Republicans when they were nominated for positions. They were absolutely rude and nasty to Bush’s appointees. But now, they are fawning all over everyone Obama chooses,even making excuses for them (LEAHY: “And Bill Clinton issued the pardon, not you”). Worthy of a gigantic hurl, so I don’t dare watch.
Look at how this is all playing out, folks. Hopeychangeyness is simply another Clinton presidency with “The One” as it’s face.
The real question is, do we have anyone with values and integrity?
Besides, you don’t actually expect the DNC TV to report the facts, now do you?
They are opposed to waterboarding terrorists. They would, however, gleefully water board President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Governor Palin, all conservative talk show hosts, conservative bloggers, and most of the peeople who post to sites like this.
Everyone is willing to waterboard their greatest enemy.
Conservatives are concerned about the rights of all Americans. Progressives are concerned about the rights of other progressives, anyone who votes for them, and anyone who hates conservatives.
Typical double-speak from the Democrats. Each time Bill Clinton was caught raising campaign funds illegally, he said that his malfeasance and greed only demonstrated the need for stronger campiagn finance laws.
Inmates running the asylum. Incompetence, medeocrity, malfeasance. Check, check, and check. Good to go. This country is in an uncontrolled flat spin and heading for the ground, but fast, courtesy of the Democrats. Yet somehow they will engineer the epitaph on the tombstone to place full blame on Republans…. anyone but them.
Did Hillary approve of Rich’s pardon? Leahy just chopped her off at the ankles if she did. That is an opening that needs to be pursued.
How come all the democrats who scream about helping the poor, minorities, the disenfranchised, the middle class, ‘working families’, women and children (THINK OF THE CHILDREN!) are the first with their grubby little hands out to take the biggest bribes they can?
It’s bizarro Congress.
“Besides, can’t you see I’m black?”
sign
This cabinet and administration will be one of the worst in history if this keeps up.
Of course, as with the FDR and Wilson socialist administrations, no one will ever know and the B.O. will be worshiped via a cult of personality that would put Stalin and Mao to shame, and may raise FDR from the dead to complain about how scandalous it is.
That’s because the payola is no longer required… A do nothing worker in a do nothing job. Probably a job in name only anyway, to help launder the payoff. It’s clear the Socialist criminals have won. They no longer fear justice because they are in total control. That is why we see them operating in the light of day and with such brazenness.
It’s clear that conservatives and the average American are out-manned and out-gunned. We are in the grips of a real Constitutional crisis that threatens the republic. Ironic that the little Sock Puppet is draping himself with the Lincoln mantle.
There is a inside joke within the US Goverment employment.
Exactly, RedDog,
The cockroaches don’t scatter when the lights come on anymore.
They have no fears of repercussion.
Ha – if anything Marc Rich’s one punishment. Switzerland has the worst food east of England. And neighbors France and Italy – go figure.
My guess is Bill got the best of the Rich pardon…
The 2nd joke within the US gov employment….close enough for government work. Which is why there is so much incompetence!
I need not worry any more we have Spider-Man on the Messiah’s side. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/15/spider-man-comic-starring-obama-sells-record-numbers-nationwide/
I could wrong though he is giving a fist-bump so it could be the wife.
Blacks thought Bush violated their civil rights?
Whites have much more to fear from militants such as Holder and Hussein.
I’m not joking about this.
And Holder’s anti Second Amendment attacks, do they make him a better candidate too?
Another shining example of Odumbo and the dims sleazy, representatives. As I’ve asked before does the Pres.-elect have no honest, trustworthy associates?
We have had incompetent presidents before: US Grant who screwed everything he ever tried, with the exception of leading men into battle, Warren G Harding (who was a compromise pick of the party leaders in s smoke filled room). Both administrations were noted for the scandals that occurred. I do not expect anything different this time around, although I am fervently hoping that Obama will not be as incompetent a president as he has been as a president-elect. (Hope that he will change).
He regrets his role in the Rich pardon, but not his role in clemency for the FALN terrorists. That, he defends as “reasonable.”
Ethics! That Obama is one funny guy!
- The man who turned the Middle East into a nightmare of Islamofacist hell as Foreign Policy Adviser
- The woman who turned the FBI classified files into a lending library for the creative extortionists as Secretary of State
- A man who can’t figure out turbo tax as the Secretary of the Treasury
What next – Bill Ayers in charge of Homeland Security? John Walker Lindh as ambassador to Afghanistan? John Anthony Walker as National Security Advisor? Dr Seuss as Surgeon General/
Actually Dr Seuss would be a good pick for Obama – he’s dead, he couldn’t possibly screw us as bad as the rest of Obama’s
possecabinet.