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June 3, 2013
"some in the West Wing privately tell associates they wish he would step down, viewing him as politically maladroit"
The intriguing phrase in the title of this post comes from this lengthy New York Times article about our Nation's Attorney General. The article is headlined "Seeking a Fresh Start, Holder Finds a Fresh Set of Troubles," and here is an excerpt that especially captured my attention:The president is also said to appreciate Mr. Holder’s integrity and his positions during some of the big debates over antiterrorism policies and other volatile issues. The White House also points to his department’s successful defense of the president’s health care program before the Supreme Court and prosecutions in high-profile terrorism, financial crimes and corporate wrongdoing cases.
Moreover, advisers said, Mr. Obama after a full term in office is less likely to worry about political flare-ups that will eventually die down. “It’s very easy sitting in that town to overestimate the longevity and impact of these issues,” David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s political strategist, said from Chicago. “I don’t think Americans are sitting around their kitchen tables clamoring for Holder’s head because of the A.P. or Fox subpoenas. It’s not water-cooler discussion.”
I find the first paragraph of this excerpt notable because, at least in my view, the legal accomplishments of the Obama Administration have been achieved mostly despite Holder's underwhelming sterwardship of the Justice Department, not because of it. And I think the second paragraph is amusing because Kate Litvak in this article years ago described the "Blog as a Bugged Water Cooler," and the posts below highlight that many folks on this blog (myself included) have in fact been sitting around this virtual kitchen table talking about who should be the next Attorney General.
A few prior posts which include clamoring for Holder's head:
- Latest scandals aside, shouldn't AG Eric Holder be getting ready to move on?
- "5 things about the controversy surrounding AG Eric Holder"
June 3, 2013 at 07:48 AM | Permalink
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"politically maladroit"
David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s political strategist: “I don’t think Americans are sitting around their kitchen tables clamoring
for Holder’s head because of the A.P. or Fox subpoenas. It’s not water-cooler discussion.”
---- ----
We know the job of advisers, yet must everything be a political calculation?
Refusal to take responsibility, convenient memory losses,
racial politics, invoking executive privilege, fraudulent testimony at least twice....
Really?
Posted by: Adamakis | Jun 3, 2013 9:45:03 AM
Now now, what's the big deal about nixing a prosecution to help out your New Black Panther friends? Power has its privileges, after all! And about those allegations that he lied to Congress . . . he's done that before, so what's the big deal?
Posted by: William Jockusch | Jun 3, 2013 3:09:17 PM
Doug:
Sure Doug, what you say is true but the people who read your blog are not "normal" people. Take a trip to your local Wal-mart some Friday night and realize that everyone there is a voter. When those people start clamoring for someone's head, then DC needs to worry. Other than that Axelrod is correct.
Posted by: Daniel | Jun 3, 2013 3:09:53 PM
For even more fun, go to your local Walmart and ask who Eric Holder even is. For that matter, you'd probably get almost the same result asking that question at your local upscale-ish shopping mall.
Posted by: 8th Amendment | Jun 3, 2013 4:29:15 PM
Eric Holder is a snide looking guy who looks like a cop from Manhattan. Excuse me for being prejudiced but I don't like any cops from Manhattan.
Posted by: Liberty1st | Jun 5, 2013 1:00:02 AM
