With such a terrible record on so many issues, I was surprised to find that Holder had never taken a position opposing gay rights and gay marriage. I guess that issue never crossed his desk. It can be argued that Holder was following the policies given to him by bosses from successive administrations, but he certainly made no effort to question or challenge any of the abusive and unconstitutional programs which he has spearheaded.
For years, Eric Holder has worked to degrade our civil liberties and weaken the Constitution and the values which on which our nation was founded. That Obama should have picked him for Attorney General is a very discouraging sign for those of us who had hoped to see liberal policies on social issues and more respect for human rights and individual liberty from this administration. It's past time to see a liberalization of marijuana laws and the basic rights to free speech and self-defense should never be abridged. Holder is one of the bad guys. He's not the kind of change people were looking for from this administration.
If you didn't like Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft or Janet Reno and their oppressive and draconian policies, you ought to be really worried about Eric Holder, who seems to be their most gung-ho ideological successor.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Ruvy
Back in the 1990's I would have thought little of someone like Holder. That is to say that he would not have annoyed me at all. My main interest was the fiscally responsible policies that Clinton was following in keeping down the deficit.
Banning internet porn, for example, didn't bother me one bit. I barely surfed the internet in those days, spending most of my hours hustling Whopper sandwiches, writing short stories, or trying to teach my kids right from wrong. If the government wanted to get rid of internet porn for me, so that my kids (had they the brains to figure out how to operate the computer then) should decide to check out all the "goodies" to be seen, it was doing me a favor.
Today, I'm in a different place, in many ways. American fiscal irresponsibility is bound to affect us negatively in Israel, but in the end, it is an American problem, as Israelis will do what they can to divorce themselves from your misfortunes.
But what little remains of American democracy and freedom can easily be destroyed by an illiberal "Justice" Department.
While this article is liberally sprinkled with guilt by association, it does not appear that Holder is one of the "white hats" (pun intended).
Again, I feel sorry for the lot of you. You never really had a choice, having to pick between McCain and Obama. The election appeared Obama's to lose almost from the day he sewed up the nomination and the financial melt-down sewed it up for him.
I know it's the kind of thing you do not want to know about, but Obama is found encoded (every seventh letter at equal-letter-skips) in Ezekiel 38:2-3 starting from the last Hebrew letter of the word nasí "aleph" and going through until his name is spelled out in Hebrew, using the common Hebrew spelling used in the Hebrew press for the last several months since Obama had emerged as a serious Democratic contender.
The phrase in Hebrew holding the code is nasí, rosh meshekh v'tubál, v'hinavé aláv; v'amárta ko amár HASHEM Tr. "president (or prince) of Meshekh and Tubal and prophecy upon him; and you will say, 'thus says My L-rd G-d'"
Gog is not a good guy in Hebrew prophecy, Dave; in fact, he is a class "A" SOB who attacks Israel and dies on the mountains here. If Gog is a bad guy, his appointees will also be bad guys....
You are not wrong to worry about keeping your weapons under the coming regime. You'll need them.
2 - Hope and Change?
Gee...whats with Barry's bait and switch?
3 - bliffle
I'm not fond of Holder either, for the reasons stated. And Geithner looks like a dud, too. Obama already has enough trouble with Clinton in his cabinet to keep his attention occupied. I suspect some turnover in the early days of this administration.
Does anyone know what has been going on with Elian? Was the interest in him only political?
4 - pablo
Although I dislike Nalle for numerous reasons, I agree with most of this article concerning CFR stooge Holder.
5 - Clavos
Does anyone know what has been going on with Elian
He's still in Cuba, and his US relatives are still trying to get him back through the courts, but he's with his father in Cuba, so they're not likely to succeed.
Meanwhile, Fidel trots both of them out for propaganda purposes on Elian's birthday and a variety of revolution holidays; the stupid Miami Herald plays into Fidel's hands, obligingly publishing their picture and a short article on each such occasion.
6 - Les Slater
I have pointed out repeatedly that whomever got elected president, the attacks on democratic rights would deepen. I particularly pointed out that there was no objective reason to think Obama would be an exception.
This is true of most policy that Oboma team will be implementing. It is just a continuation. Not a straight line continuation but a continuation nonetheless.
Military? Hawk Clinton in State, Gates, head of 'defense'.
Economic? Pretty much a continuation of the turn Bush administration has already begun. McCain would be doing same.
The capitalist class, the SAME capitalist class still rules.
7 - Dr Dreadful
"For years, Eric Holder has worked to degrade our civil liberties and weaken the Constitution and the values which on which our nation was founded. That Obama should have picked him for Attorney General is a very discouraging sign for those of us who had hoped to see liberal policies on social issues and more respect for human rights and individual liberty from this administration."
On the other hand, he opposes the death penalty and has been critical of warrantless wiretapping, waterboarding and other delightful Bush policies.
Oh, and his support for the Rich pardon was cool at best. He hardly spearheaded it.
8 - Dave Nalle
Les, it's amazing how irrelevant your viewpoint is. While it was inevitable that the new administration would be more or less capitalist, there was certainly a LOT of question about what the specific policies would be. We had reason to hope for radicalism on at least a few key issues. The same might have been true with McCain. But what we got with Obama seems to have been more generic statism.
And Dr. D. Note the very clear ideological nature of what Holder supports and opposes. Like so many on the left he favors gross violations of the rights of millions, while opposing specific and targeted abuses against a tiny few.
Dave
9 - Baronius
Dread, I don't want a top man at Justice who lets himself get railroaded into a politically-motivated pardon. A pardon is arguably the most powerful thing a president can do. The fact that Holder gave a hasty answer doesn't make him any less complicit. They say that character is what you do in the dark; it's also what you do on your last day at work. Because you know what? Pardons don't have to be put off until the last day, and there's a Pardons Attorney at Justice Department who serves to coordinate pardons and make recommendations. Holder saw fit to ignore the chain of command and give a recommendation in favor of an irrevocable act which bypasses the legal system. He shouldn't be allowed back into government.
10 - Les Slater
"We had reason to hope for radicalism on at least a few key issues."
Such hope had no rational basis.
The fact that Obama is the executive leader of the U.S. capitalist class in a deepening crisis is the only relevance. All else is subordinate.
It is the capitalist class itself that is running out of options. Whomever they pick for their chief executive is bound to reflect those lack of options.
11 - Dr Dreadful
Baronius, I don't know enough about Holder to have an opinion on whether or not the man is a suitable choice as attorney-general.
But when Dave gets on his hyperbolic high horse, basically portraying Holder as the Genghis Khan of civil liberties, and when people who wouldn't normally agree with him start doing so, it's time for him to be challenged.
Here, as with so much else, there is no black and white; only shades of gray. I'm just pointing out a few of the nuances.
12 - Les Slater
Dr. D,
"...just pointing out a few of the nuances."
They're nice to know and appreciate... but don't put too much faith that they will in any sense be decisive, either way.
It isn't that there will not be any democratic gains in the coming administration and beyond, but these will be won by social forces in motion.
Les
13 - Baronius
Dread, most of us have been reading long enough to recognize when Dave's on or near his high horse. That doesn't make him wrong.
I understand that Holder wasn't bribed into an unethical decision. Instead he claims he was sloppy. That doesn't make him qualified to be AG; it only changes the reason he's unqualified.
I know I'm going to disagree with the ideology of all of Obama's picks, but it's Obama's right to bring in the team that represents his beliefs. I wish them and him all the best. I'm no "liberty Republican", so I'm not expecting any silver lining. My reason for disappointment is very different from Dave's. When the chips are down, Holder's judgement can't be trusted, and I can't think of a worse place for such a person than the Attorney General's office.
14 - Cindy D
Dave,
Where does that myth about Republicans actually being the party of small government and fiscal responsibility come from?
Like so many on left he favors gross violations of the rights of millions, while opposing specific and targeted abuses against a tiny few.
Dave that reads like what the left might say about any right-winger.
Anyway Dave, good article.
I think Les was one of the few people making sense pre-election. He still is.
15 - Heloise
Are we forgetting is that before John Edwards stepped in crap of his own making he was looking like a shoo-in for AG. What say you on that Dave? I think JE is just a pretty face and never wanted him to be prez. Irony is that if he had been the nominee we wouldn't be having this conversation because that horrible confused McCain/Pain would have won.
So much for anti-intellectuals running from the WH. At least we have some think economics coming to the WH and not more of the same Paulson types.
Forbes was it called Paulson the WORSE Fed chief ever!!! They must have read my crazy comment about him not being fit to hold my grannies tits while she washed under them...'nuf said?
Heloise
16 - Cindy D
I think I'll write an article soon Dave. It's going to be about how much I am enjoying all my "freedom" in your capitalist society.
Subtitle: How can a society be free with so many authoritarians running around trying to control every single thing anyone does?
17 - Glenn Contrarian
OFF TOPIC!
But hilarious - the Saturday Night Live skit on Bill Clinton's advice about Hillary for world leaders .
Enjoy!
18 - Glenn Contrarian
Heloise -
That's a "not fit for" insult I haven't heard before! And there it was I thought I'd heard it all....
Thanks -
19 - Cindy D
Dave,
Is there somewhere in your "free" society I can go to complain about this? I think I'd like to opt out.:
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. government is prepared to provide more than $7.76 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers after guaranteeing $306 billion of Citigroup Inc. debt yesterday.
Wow, what was all the hullabaloo over 700 billion? That almost sounds like chicken scratch.
bliffle, did you see this? Do these numbers keep getting bigger or is it my imagination?
20 - Baronius
I have no reason to believe that Geithner will represent a change in Treasury policy. He's head of the NY Federal Reserve, which holds something like 90% of the subprime mortgage debt. Geithner was the brains behind the bailouts of Bear Stearns and AIG.
Cindy, you're reading those numbers right.
21 - Dave Nalle
Cindy, you're not paying attention. This is not MY free society. In my free society the government probably wouldn't even have the authority to mint money, much less engage in financial bailouts.
Dave
22 - Les Slater
"...you're not paying attention. This is not MY free society."
John Galt is just a figment of your imagination.
23 - handyguy
Dave spent many months and oceans of words telling us that the abuses of the Bush Justice Department - in particular the politicizing of the firing and appointment of US attorneys - were 'not important,' and were just red herrings invented by the media and the left.
Now, before Eric Holder has even been officially announced, much less confirmed, still less spent a single day in office, he is proclaimed to be Enemy Number One of Civil Liberties.
Attorneys General don't generally make policy. They carry out the policy of the president. And I don't for a minute believe Obama will promote the kinds of stances Dave emphasizes in this typically propagandistic, one-sided article.
Instead, I suspect he will work to undo some of Bush-Gonzales-Ashcroft's damage, in the definition of torture and the future of Guantanamo, as well as the politicization of Justice.
24 - pablo
Really Handguy?
And how about the Patriot Act, the Military commissions Act, the unlawful naming of us citizens as enemy combatants? He already showed his true colors on the Wiretap bill, where he went back on his word and endorsed the police state.
25 - Ruvy
It's almost fun reading about the change you are not getting in America. Let's wait for that first big foreign policy crisis that Obama has to face on his own.