Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Eric Holder’s Tenure
Townhall.com ^ | September 28, 2014 | Ilya Shapiro

Posted on 09/28/2014 8:54:02 AM PDT by Kaslin

Eric Holder’s tenure marked one of the most divisive and partisan eras of the Justice Department. From his involvement in the bizarre guns-to-gangs operation (“Fast & Furious”), for which he has been cited for contempt by the House and referred to a federal prosecutor (which referral went nowhere due to invocations of executive privilege), to his refusal to recognize the separation of powers—enabling President Obama’s executive abuses—he politicized an already overly political Justice Department.

One thing that differentiates Holder from other notorious attorneys general, like John Mitchell under Richard Nixon, is that Holder hasn’t gone to jail (yet; the DOJ Inspector General better lock down computer systems lest Holder’s electronic files “disappear”).

Holder’s damage to race relations may be even worse than his contempt for Congress, however, as his management of the Justice Department and use of its powers betray a desire to use the law to advance a dubious view of social justice. For example, he sued fire and police departments to enforce hiring quotas and inflamed social tensions with his pronouncements on Stand Your Ground laws. He blamed banks for not lending enough to members of racial minority groups and other banks for “predatory lending” that led to disproportionate bankruptcies among those same groups. Ironically, he’s even challenged school choice programs, which overwhelmingly help poor black kids acquire better educations.

Still, it must be said that Holder was a “uniter not a divider” on one front: under his reign, the Justice Department has suffered a record number of unanimous losses at the Supreme Court. In the last three terms alone, the government has suffered 13 such defeats – a rate double President Clinton’s and triple President Bush’s – in areas of law ranging from criminal procedure to property rights to securities regulation to religious freedom. By not just pushing but breaking through the envelope of plausible legal argument, Attorney General Holder has done his all to expand federal (especially executive) power and contract individual liberty beyond any constitutional recognition.

Eric Holder will not be missed by those who support the rule of law.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: 0bamaadmin; agericholder; corruption; doj; ericholder; fastnfurious

1 posted on 09/28/2014 8:54:02 AM PDT by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

I didn’t think a successor could possible be worse than Holder.
I was wrong. Janet Napolitano is worse.


2 posted on 09/28/2014 8:57:17 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (Bomb ISIS; bomb them again; bomb them again; kill all survivors; take no prisoners.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BuffaloJack

+1


3 posted on 09/28/2014 8:59:39 AM PDT by Fantasywriter (Any attempt to do forensic work using Internet artifacts is fraught with pitfalls. JoeProbono)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BuffaloJack
I'm not sure if there is any difference between those two.

Both are evil

4 posted on 09/28/2014 9:04:48 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BuffaloJack

If the GOP in the Senate do not Bork her and let her be confirmed then they will allow anything.


5 posted on 09/28/2014 9:21:10 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Georgia Girl 2
If the GOP in the Senate do not Bork her and let her be confirmed then they will allow anything.

Among politicians, politics is more important than anything else.

The GOP will use this opportunity to bring up her disgraceful past, but they will confirm her.

The Marxist/democrats hope the GOP will not confirm her so that they can use that as proof that obstructionist republicans are to blame for all of the failures of this administration.

6 posted on 09/28/2014 9:39:58 AM PDT by oldbrowser (We have a rogue government in Washington)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Tenure?

More like reign of terror.


7 posted on 09/28/2014 9:46:19 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: oldbrowser

Yes the part that kills me is the GOP probably confirm Nappy if Oblahblah nominates her.


8 posted on 09/28/2014 9:50:43 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

9 posted on 09/28/2014 2:35:04 PM PDT by 4Liberty (Prejudice and generalizations. That's how Collectivists roll......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson