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Leahy: You Guys Voted For Gonzo, So What's Wrong With Holder?
The bad blood between Senate Judiciary chair Pat Leahy, and ranking Republican Arlen Specter, over Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, shows no signs of abating.
Yesterday, Specter pointedly questioned Holder's record of independence, even comparing Holder to Alberto Gonzales -- a low blow by any measure.
Leahy, who supports Holder's confirmation, seems to have taken exception. His office today released the following statement in his name -- which tries to turn the Gonzo precedent back on Specter:
We need the new Attorney General to be a person of experience and independence. Eric Holder's long record of public service has earned him strong support from law enforcement organizations, civil rights groups, victims' rights advocates, former Reagan and Bush administration officials, and others. Any effort to question his character is unfounded. Every Republican voted for Alberto Gonzales, and felt his character merited confirmation. Certainly Eric Holder greatly exceeds that test.
Oh snap.
For weeks, Leahy and Specter have been bickering over the nomination. Specter prevailed on his opposite number to delay the confirmation hearings, citing a need to look more closely at Holder's record, in particular his role in the pardon of Marc Rich
Josh
Zachary
Spector is in a twit mode due to his re-election bid in 2010. I hope he ass gets handed to him for all his bs during the last eight years of talking crap then voting w/ the bush agenda. Spector thinks he is a scholar and a champion of civil rights when in reality he is a arrogant sob who deserves no respect for the next 8 years!
January 7, 2009 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope they vote against holder, because it will give him more cause to investigate their asses for everything they have done over the last 8 years. Bush didn't do it all by himself!
January 7, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only "low blow" here comes from Roth. If you read what Specter said, he's right: We don't want to rubber stamp nominees since we learned our lesson with Gonzo. That's not "comparing Holder to Alberto Gonzales", it is learning from hard experience. Of course Specter is also grandstanding. But questioning Holder's independence is a legit move. What is not legit is inflating any questions of independence out of proportion.
Leahy's statement is just silly.
Holder just needs to be prepared to knock down the strawman issues Specter will put forward. If all Specter offers is what he's clearly telegraphed, it should be a short and easy hearing.
January 7, 2009 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt that you are a fool
you shoulda kept yer mouth shut
I've read what specter said. I've got the quote RIGHT HERE:
I am convinced that many of Attorney General Gonzales’ missteps were caused by his eagerness to please the White House. Similarly, when Mr. Holder was serving as DAG to President Clinton, some of his actions raised concerns about his ability to maintain his independence from the president.
it's not "learning from hard experience"
it's flat fucking hypocrisy
and you're a fucking idiot for defending this piece of shit
maybe you learned your lesson
never support a lying corrupt hypocritical asshole, less you be found to be a lying corrupt hypocritical asshole
lie down with dogs, and ya wake up with fleas
repuglitards are indefensible, and only fools like you are willing to try to defend the indefensible shit
January 7, 2009 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice to see we can disagree without being disagreeable. :-(
January 7, 2009 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
disagreement is fine
flat fucking stupidity demands an answer
and defending a repuglitard by trying to make the despicable look reasonable ???
that's just blatant stupidity
if your stupid enough to lie for repuglitards, I'm mean enough to make you regret it
January 7, 2009 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
So much for the end of "partisan rancor" in your house.
If it helps you to label Specter a hypocrite, all I can say is... Whatever!
January 7, 2009 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm all for playing nice, but "hypocrite" has Specter's picture next to it in the dictionary.
January 7, 2009 10:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
'free patriot' has no history showing at TPM, could be an offended sock puppet?
January 7, 2009 8:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
or I could be an offended human who doesn't tolerate hypocritical repuglitard talking points and the pathetic people who claim to be Democrats but repeat the repuglitard falshoods
January 8, 2009 3:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Will you settle for "foul-mouthed attack machine"?
January 8, 2009 5:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Add Roberts and Alito to that list and I'll agree with you.
January 7, 2009 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
We should give Holder Leahy's job. Leahy is a blowhard as are all too many Democrat Committee chairs.
Specter is playing politics to get him some publicity and TV time. Expect Specter to milk this for all he can.
By the way, he's one of my Senators, I've known of him since his days as the DA in Philly.
January 7, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
as long as specter is milking a bull, I'll let him try
specter just admitted that abu gonzo is a FUCKING CRIMINAL
then he PROJECTS ABU GONZO'S CRIMINAL ACTS ONTO HOLDER
FUCK HIM AND THE HORSE HE RODE IN ON
specter is gonna have some fun explaining that statment in 2010
first the wingnuts are gonna make him renounce his statements on abu gonzo, then specter is gonna try a double hypocrisy back flip and reclaim the words if he survives the wingnut primary
January 7, 2009 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't hold back FP, tell us how you _really_ feel! ;-)
January 7, 2009 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I fully expect Leahy to bend over and take in ass as he always does in the Holder matter. The repubs will run circles around this old goat. If Leahy had any balls he would use the same tactics the repubs did to get Bush's AG's through.
January 7, 2009 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Snarlin' Arlen "El Foldo" Specter makes some nice noise once in a while. I'm not saying this is some, but hey. He always always did right by Bush/Cheney when it came to actually making a decision, hence the cartoonish spanish nick. (think it came out of FDL) I admit I like the guy, but I'm not in PA, so I'm not a close follower. My uneducated guess is he'll not run for re-election.
Staying in the Senate-as-spectator-sport vibe, I can't wait to see Think Progress rehash Orrin Hatch's endless bloviating about Gonzo's marvelous and historic hispanicness. yeah, I know. nice word. Orrin Hack should be more entertaining. what's my point. eh
January 8, 2009 1:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know, I know! My point was to say that Specter might ride along with Obama. Also wanted muck out the profile thingies cuz I had to change my... I think I'm ok, all kluge aside.
January 8, 2009 1:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
still bites
January 8, 2009 1:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Arlen Specter likes to make headlines by pretending to be "anti" (fill in blank here) and has done so regularly the past 8 years at least, but in the end he ALWAYS gives in to the Bush agenda. He's doing the same now with the exception that he might not vote for Holder in the end (afterall this isn't his party's nominee). Specter and Leahy have seemed to have a good relationship until now, but I'd hoped Leahy would not give in to delaying Holder's confirmation hearing start. Yet he did and now Specter is putting out this BS comparing Gonzo to Holder which is ridiculous. No one can really hold a light to Gonzo, he's in a "class" all by himself and I use that term loosely.
January 8, 2009 3:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Specter is a toothless tiger. He will huff and puff and spread his peacock feathers for the benefit of his rightwing constituents and vote 'reluctantly for Holder to get the DOJ working'. He and Voinovich are two of a kind, bombast and no gonads. He has no shame. He enabled Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, Gonzales, Mukasey to dismantle the Constitution to suspend habeas corpus, torture, warrantless wiretap, rendition to other countries that knowingly torture. to out a covert CIA agent among a hundred other egregious actions. Of course, no conscience renders you shameless. He is just paying Bush back for helping him get re-elected. No Bush next time.
January 8, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink