Leahy: [Marc] Rich pardon won’t haunt [Eric] Holder

The Hill ^ | December 1, 2008 | J. Taylor Rushing

[Zakeet]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Monday dismissed any concern that Attorney General nominee Eric Holder’s confirmation process would be haunted by the pardon of Marc Rich.

Speaking at a press conference to praise President-elect Barack Obama’s nominations, Leahy singled out Holder as “a longtime friend” and an “especially fitting” choice to lead the Justice Department. He predicted Holder’s involvement in the 2001 pardon of Rich — a fugitive commodities trader granted clemency on President Bill Clinton’s last day in office — would play only a minor role in the upcoming hearings.

Leahy acknowledged that, while the topic will come up, Holder himself had not issued the pardon, had stopped short of recommending it and later said he regretted not taking a stronger stand against it. Leahy also noted that he was critical of the pardon at the time.

“We all know President Clinton was going to give that pardon,” Leahy said. “It wouldn’t have made any difference what Eric Holder or anybody else said … I don’t think that President Clinton should have [given] the pardon, but I don’t blame Eric Holder for that.”

Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, is not sharing Leahy’s view.

“The nomination of Eric Holder to be attorney general is a surprising pick for a president-elect who claims that he is bringing ‘change’ to Washington,” Smith said in a statement. “Eight years ago, Holder was at the center of some of the most controversial pardons granted by a president in U.S. history.”

Smith added that an attorney general “must put the interests of justice above everything else, including the desires of the president.

[Zakeet]

We need someone with experience pardoning FALN terrorists in order to close down Gitmo more quickly.

[Post Toasties]

Leahy looks like a deranged moron which probably explains his idiotic apologias of Democrat corruption and hypocrisy.

[kbennkc]

Vice President Cheney should have reached out to him and invited him to go hunting , rather than telling him to go eff himself . Although that was a good idea too .

[Red Badger]

Just go back to sitting under your apple tree, Leahy..............

[gunnedah]

The “Mafia” and Security leaks control Congress now and there isnt a darn thing that can be done about it. America elected this crap now suffer the consequences. Come on Al Qeida this bunch of bums in Congress are cowards,traitors and moochers. America is here for the taking. You can buy the whole bunch for less than Obama bought the Presidency.

[dancusa]

One too many apples fell on this guys head.

[HardStarboard]

I’ve got a liberal lawyer friend that went to school with him and says Pat Leahy was a jerk back then.

Hasn’t changed a bit.

[Trajan88]

It will if the Senate does NOT have 60 votes on the Democrapic side of the isle.

[marlon]

Oh c’mon 60 dem votes, who you kidding. They’ll get RINO votes from McCain, Snowe, Spector, Collins, Hagel, Lindsey Graham, Voinavitch and probably anothor 5 that don’t immediately come to mind.

[Trajan88]

Why does this tool look like he just ate a s**t sandwich?

Because he did... what a goof.