Eric Holder Is Change I Can Believe In

I hear a storyline hardening around Eric Holder's nomination. Instead of being celebrated for the accomplished and outstanding public servant that he is, Holder is being portrayed as more of the same Clinton-era politics that Obama was supposed to leave behind.

I disagree that Holder's nomination is just "more of the same." Yes, Holder served in the Clinton Justice Department, but that does not mean his nomination is not totally welcomed and savored by many of his supporters.

Why? Because the top cop in America will be a black man. Not just a black man, of course, but a highly-respected attorney who inspires confidence and hope.

Imagine being a black person and beholding Eric Holder as the highest-ranking law enforcement official. Suddenly I will see someone who not only looks like me, but who can see me and people like me and see us as individuals, not as problems to be contained. We will have a top cop who sees us as more than the dreaded other.

This is not to say that other AGs were incapable of this, but there is nothing like seeing the machinery of the federal justice system headed by someone like you to make you feel that you have an ownership stake in this society.

It would be an insult to Mr. Holder to expect him to treat anyone differently because they share his race or his politics. I just expect him to be fair. And as we know, fairness has been in short supply for the past eight years.

Like many Americans of all colors, I have a healthy respect, if not outright fear of law enforcement. Not because I commit criminal acts, but because law enforcement officers exercise so much power in our lives if they choose to do so. If we find ourselves wrongly accused, so much damage can be done to our bodies and spirit before we get the chance to clear our names. And if we are rightly accused, the punishment so often does not fit the crime. I have many friends and acquaintances in law enforcement, but that doesn't keep me from remembering that if I upset the wrong cop, or the wrong prosecutor, my life can be made miserable. That one can't always expect fairness in the criminal justice system.

Of course, black men have lead police departments in this country, and have held the highest judgeships, and that hasn't magically repaired all that is flawed with our systems.
We have so much work to do, still. I am just happy that Eric Holder may get the chance to do so at the Justice Department. As I watched Arianna Huffington guest host *The Rachel Maddow Show* on Monday, I thought, this all feels like a dream. A beautiful dream.

With Holder's nomination, the dream just got better.

Comments

[rekky]

I read the Op-Ed in the Nov. 22 NY Times regarding Eric Holder. If his role in the Marc Rich pardon is anything remotely similar to what is documented in that Op-Ed, he is absolutely unqualified ethically to hold the position of Attorney General. The most important thing we want from an Attorney General is the standard of "Equal Justice for All". It seems that Eric Holder's position on the Marc Rich pardon was preferred justice for a wealth fugitive who could afford to hire attorneys with the proper connections.

Anyone who celebrates Holder's nomination has no leg to stand on when they criticize the upcoming pardons that we fear that George Bush will be making in the final days of his administration, such as Scooter Libby.

[GreatFutureForAll]

Stacey, I dreamt of this day long ago when I was eight. It was the very early seventies right after the very tumultuous sixties.

I remember those great Coca-Cola commercials with all of the young people singing "I'd like to teach the world to sing In perfect harmony; I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company" on ABC television. It was so commercial. But, as a kid, one could sense the possibility of a much better world. Kids could see through the advertisement and onto the greater message of black and white faces singing together as friends.

The ad agency did not know the impact of that message on so many young, impressionable minds.

I'm 44 now. But, I feel like I'm eight again. What we did on November 4th is having an immediate impact. The world loves us again. Meanwhile, Obama's popularity has Al Qaeda truly scared and acting irrationally. This is the single worst thing that could have happened to Al Qaeda.

Holder will be outstanding because he'll have more freedom than ever before to do what is right . Obama will demand it.

But, enough about law enforcement and international affairs. After work, I'm going to turn on the Mike Douglas Show and watch two great friends, Chuck Berry and John Lennon, perform in the afternoon just like I did when I was a kid!

OK, not on television. But on you-tube, where all things are possible!

[dana94591]

After the Alberto Gonzalez it is a welcome sight to have a competent, experienced, principled person in this postion. The drone that was Gonzalez had sullied the office during his tenure. Good luck, Eric! Make us proud!!!

[youngliberal]

Frankly this write up is not good.

You seem to focus solely on the Clinton era pardons without actually taking any sort of deep and logical look at things this man has defended throughout his law career.

The one that comes to mind for me? Chiquita Banana.

I'm not one of the hard-left people thinking this nomination sucks, but frankly it seems very poorly done.

Do more research, would you?

[Cherlesq]

Perhaps there will come a time when I am no longer fearful of my govenment.

[FarmworkerLawyer]

Eric Holder is just another in the long line of corporate hack lawyers that buy their way into positions of power. Greg Craig as the White House Counselor? Pres. Obama is going to have a REAL tough time with the Hispanic vote next time. Holder and his now infamous defense of Chiquita Brands for their participation in the underwriting of the Right-wing paramilitary death squads in Colombia, Craig for his defense of the non-Spanish speaking 'president' that was installed in Bolivia by himself and James Carville with the financial aide of their clients who then proceeded to murder hundreds of indigenous people who didn't think that the gringo from Iowa who couldn't speak their language should be president. With Messrs. Craig and Holder in the seats, I think that the extradition request from Bolivia will be used for toilet paper. Yeah, I am not real hopeful that this is the change I was hoping for. I think that my hard-earned money was just as wasted as if I had sent it to Ralph Nader. Maybe next time, I will. At least I will know in advance that I am pissing away my money. Not buying into a lie. Regardless of the person's race, a lie is a lie is a lie.

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

HAHAHAHAHAH!! YOU NEED TO READ MORE, and get your facts updated! Eric Holder, is "indubitably" qualified to assume the AG role in an Obama administration, hands down bar none!!

[Embracemystery]

>>>Like many Americans of all colors, I have a healthy respect, if not outright fear of law enforcement.>I have many friends and acquaintances in law enforcement, but that doesn't keep me from remembering that if I upset the wrong cop, or the wrong prosecutor, my life can be made miserable.

[dapperd72]

While I'm not that familiar with Holder's work as Deputy AG under Reno, all I've learned of him in recent days is a beautiful breath of fresh air from Ashcroft & Gonzales, who are clearly guilty of war crimes along with multiple violations of basic civil liberties. If Holder at least drastically reduces the national epidemic of police brutality against ethnic minorities and progressive activists, not least of which included Giuliani's NY henchmen assaulting Abner Louima & murdering Amidou Diallo for their skin color, I'll be very satisfied. Time's long overdue to have a chief law enforcement officer who respects the Constitution and treats individuals with respect, performing his investigations and enforcement with even-handed integrity. Apart from cracking down on police brutality, I sincerely hope Holder will fully investigate Bush's 2 aforementioned AG's for their own crimes against the Constitution and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

I think Holder is a great choice to resurrect the moribund Civil Rights and Antitrust Divisions and hopefully he will pursue cases against the Bush white collar criminals.

[JohnPaulJones]

He's also a great choice if you like the status quo when it comes to the War on Drugs.

[midknightryder13]

I don't -- but right now, I'd settle for it becoming less of a priority. There are a few other things that need to be done first.

[youngliberal]

Oh please. If Obama's gonna do anything to put those men behind bars, it will be done by an independant commission. you really think that Obama is going to want to portray itself as partisan enough to go after them? Obviously, its not partisan, but the lowest common denominator rules all.

[pointyheadprodigy]

Mr. Palermo I will read further and I do hope you speak of this matter correctly. The whole Chiquita bananas being worth even a single life, bothers me intensely and I want to believe that Eric Holder was chosen because Barack knows that Eric has learned a few new things since then. Hopefully there were some mind-shattering realizations of what he was a party to and infinite regret and sadness for what has been done to earn a few bucks selling bananas. Without at least those two items I would think his chance of satisfying your expectations are very low.

[JMBrodie]

The man is playing chess. Obama takes the stars from Congress and replaces them with the young up and comers. Overnight, Congress gets younger and more progressive.

Genius.

[fishgirl26]

No more partisans in the justice dept! Janet Reno did a great job and I believe holder would too. I don't think you'll see him sacking judges for not prosecuting people because they don't have the right letter behind their name (ala Gonzales).

[BSERIUS]

Clinton sacked all 93.. Bush just sacked those that were incompetent

[mapleaforever]

Bush does know incompetan­ce......ev­ery time he looks in the mirror.

[shanefish]

Your definition of incompetent is a person who's ideology differs from yours? Keep spewing it, it will only come back to haunt you like all of the other "misconceptions" you people have been spreading around as truth for 20+ years. Good luck with that.

[RightWingMarine]

I look forward to complaining about the Man keeping me down.

[Bitsko]

Well said, Ms. Aab. Let's hear more from you.

[BSERIUS]

he is also involved with governor Blago and the Chicago style politics..... you were warned

[canucklivinginUSA]

You say that like its a bad thing

[GregJL]

Really...now if it were Chicago style PIZZA, that would be different.

[DaveC19]

I don't care about race. I care about his record, and Holder's is terrible. He is just another corporate hack. Look at his record, not his skin color.

[shanefish]

What record of his did you see? Or did Rush Limbaugh say that this morning?