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Is Holder on the way out?
Hotair ^ | 05/16/2013 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 05/16/2013 12:13:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Given that Eric Holder has served the longest on Barack Obama's Cabinet, it's not exactly unusual that rumors would arise in a second term that the Attorney General might head out to pasture sometime soon. In fact, even Eric Holder wondered about it last November, when he questioned whether he still had “gas in the tank” for a second term. Later, he announced that he’d stick around for a year to get Obama through the transition to another term, but probably hit the road after that.

Is the year up? After listening to Holder’s litany of “I don’t knows” in yesterday’s House hearing, one could make the argument that Holder’s already checked out of Justice. Libtalker Bill Press would like to make it official:

I still haven’t heard a legit justification for the subpoenaing the AP phone records. They didn’t notify AP, they didn’t narrow search.

— Bill Press (@bpshow) May 16, 2013

What “breach of national security” are we talking about re the AP story? It’s BS and Holder should be fired.

— Bill Press (@bpshow) May 16, 2013

Talk radio host and former chairman of the California Democratic Party Bill Press said Thursday that Attorney General Eric Holder should be fired over the subpoena of reporter phone records.

With his tweets, Press becomes one of the first prominent liberal voices to call for the dismissal of Holder over the records seizure.

First? Well, Dana Milbank’s column last night came close to calling for Holder to step down. I linked it earlier, but this part is worth noting, too:

In a sense, the two topics that dogged Holder most on Wednesday — the AP phone records and the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups — were one and the same. In both cases, Americans are being punished and intimidated for exercising their right of free expression — by the taxing authorities, in the conservatives’ case, and by federal prosecutors, in the reporters’ case.

But Holder cared so little about those two issues that he said not a peep about either the IRS or the AP in his opening statement. When he was questioned about the AP case, his first response was to suggest the criticism of him was political. “I mean, there’s been a lot of criticism,” Holder said. “In fact, the head of the RNC called for my resignation, in spite of the fact that I was not the person involved in that decision.”

Resignation or not, there are people looking for an AG who takes the job seriously. Chicago columnist Michael Sneed writes that Holder’s days are numbered, and that the White House already has his replacement in mind — Deval Patrick:

Sneed is told that Attorney General Eric “Fast and Furious” Holder’s days are numbered.

Sneed hears President Barack Obama, who is this/close to Holder, has set his sights on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as a possible replacement “when the heat dies down on the latest hot-button scandals to hit the U.S. Justice Department,” said a top White House source. …

“The president will wait until the heat dies down — and a little time has passed beyond that — before he does anything to Holder because Holder is a close pal, and that’s a big deal in the White House,” said a top Dem source. “Holder is also a close buddy of Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett,” the source said. “Obama knows a change has to be made, but he wants Holder to leave with his reputation intact.”

It’s a little too late for that, especially after yesterday’s incoherent performance on Capitol Hill. But Deval Patrick is an unlikely choice for Holder’s replacement. First, why would Patrick want the job in the first place? The DoJ will be playing defense for the next three years on all of these scandals and perhaps more, since Holder apparently can’t count the times he’s approved the seizure of media phone records. As a two-time governor of a relatively populous state, Patrick at least on paper has the credentials to run for Obama’s job, and there is no reason to saddle himself with Obama’s scandals before at least giving that a try.

Second, with all of these scandals in play, Obama would have to nominate someone whom Republicans can at least grudgingly support in a confirmation vote. With the legal and political morass at Justice in the AP phone records seizure and Operation Fast and Furious, the next AG nominee will have to be seen as someone reasonably independent of the Obama administration, with real reform credentials. Senate Republicans will block any nominee that lacks those credentials with these scandals in play, and this time the politics will be on their side. Needless to say, Patrick doesn’t fill that bill.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: billpress; bloggers; ericholder

1 posted on 05/16/2013 12:13:26 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

The perfect AG would be Hillary Clinton, “my mind is Jello, jello, jello.”


2 posted on 05/16/2013 12:15:46 PM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: SeekAndFind
I certainly hope H0lder can finally be joined with his twin:


3 posted on 05/16/2013 12:18:31 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: SeekAndFind

Holder’s out only if he wants to go. I’m sure he has the goods on Barry.


4 posted on 05/16/2013 12:19:38 PM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Socialism consumes everything. Bolshies' gonna bolsh.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Holder and prez are partners in crime. Holder would only leave to roll over in case things get too close to incrimanting obama


5 posted on 05/16/2013 12:21:04 PM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: aynrandfreak

Incriminating!


6 posted on 05/16/2013 12:22:07 PM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: aynrandfreak

I was just saying this over on another thread.


7 posted on 05/16/2013 12:22:46 PM PDT by Gaffer
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To: FReepers; Patriots; FRiends







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8 posted on 05/16/2013 12:23:02 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

“The perfect AG would be Hillary Clinton, “my mind is Jello, jello, jello.”

Makes me wish Rush would get back to inserting more humor into his show. He’s far too serious now...and there are so very many (approaching infinity) areas where libs can be shown to be silly, childish, uneducated...etc....etc...etc.

And besides, it really p*sses them off when you make fun of them.


9 posted on 05/16/2013 12:23:51 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: SeekAndFind
"Is Holder on the way out?"

That would be a good start, but don't hold your breath.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

10 posted on 05/16/2013 12:29:46 PM PDT by wku man (Amnesty? No Way, Jose (No Se Puede!) by 10 Pound Test http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsTUQ8yOI2c)
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To: SeekAndFind

The only way Holder will lose his job will be thru the incessent demand by the MSM. Fast and Furious was swept under the rug and the MSM are still giving him a pass so it’s safe to say his job is secure.....


11 posted on 05/16/2013 12:34:42 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: SeekAndFind

Out on a gurney would suit me just fine.


12 posted on 05/16/2013 12:35:42 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Without GOD, men get what they deserve.)
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To: Nervous Tick

.. in a baggie.


13 posted on 05/16/2013 12:37:24 PM PDT by tomkat (solve for x: Baraq = islamite .. islam = enemy ... Baraq = x)
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To: SeekAndFind

He’ll go back to his law firm Covington & Burling(represents 17 Yemeni’s held at Gitmo) and continue representing terrorists.

http://www.cov.com/probonooverview/probono.aspx?show=morehighlights
Guantanamo Bay Detainees

We currently represent fourteen men detained at the United States Naval Station at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Most of the men have been detained for approximately eight years and none have been charged with any crimes. Following the decision by the Supreme Court in Boumediene v. Bush, 128 S. Ct. 2229 (2008), holding that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus extends to detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, we are challenging the legality of our clients’ detentions in habeas proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Of the seven cases that have gone to merits hearings thus far, Covington has won four, lost two, and is awaiting a decision in one other. Two prior clients were released without a hearing.
The firm has been involved in the Guantánamo related litigation for the last six years. In addition to the on-going habeas corpus proceedings, our efforts have included: bringing cases for review of enemy combatant classification decisions in the D.C. Circuit under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005; challenging the destruction of CIA torture tapes in federal court; filing amicus briefs and coordinating the amicus effort in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006); filing amicus briefs in support of Supreme Court review in Moussaoui v. United States, 382 F.3d 483 (4th Cir.), cert denied, 544 U.S. 931 (2005); challenging the government’s practice of redacting information from documents given to security-cleared habeas counsel; and challenging the abusive medical and living conditions that the detainees experience at Guantánamo.


14 posted on 05/16/2013 12:45:06 PM PDT by sportscaster ("LET'S ROLL")
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To: SeekAndFind

Leftist media believe themselves to be a part of the authoritarian power structure. They have faithfully served Obama, so how could they be betrayed? Now they find out they aren’t as privileged in the power structure as they thought. The master doesn’t trust them.


15 posted on 05/16/2013 12:54:42 PM PDT by pallis
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To: SeekAndFind

****Is the year up? After listening to Holder’s litany of “I don’t knows” at yesterday’s House hearing,***

Reminds me of Salvatore in the movie NAME OF THE ROSE. “Stupido, stupito! ME NO NO NOTING!”


16 posted on 05/16/2013 1:38:54 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (When someone burns a cross on your lawn, the best firehose is an AK-47.)
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