Eric Holder Doesn't Want to Miss 'Opportunity' of Obama's Second Term

Eric Holder Doesn't Want to Miss 'Opportunity' of Obama's Second Term

Attorney General Eric Holder may work through all four years of President Barack Obama’s second term because he is hesitant to miss the “opportunity” that remains as long as Obama wields power.

Appearing on radio’s the Tom Joyner Morning Show Thursday morning, Holder was asked if he would stick around for all four years of President Obama’s second term. “I don’t know, we’ll see,” Holder answered. “I’m happy. I’m still enjoying what I’m doing and still want to be done. I’m still the president’s wing man and I’m here with my boy.”

“It’s tough,” Holder added. “But when you understand what the stakes are, and what the opportunity is that we have, I can deal with all the nonsense. I can deal with whatever they throw at me. We’re tough in New York City, so if this is the best they got in Washington, I’m ready for it.”

Holder remains in both criminal and civil contempt of Congress after bipartisan votes from the House of Representatives last summer. Twenty-one Democrats joined all House Republicans to vote Holder into civil contempt for hiding Operation Fast and Furious documents from the American people and for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena on the matter. Seventeen Democrats joined all but two House Republicans to vote Holder into criminal contempt of Congress for the same reason.

Holder’s Department of Justice directed the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ron Machen, not to enforce the criminal contempt resolution against him. The civil contempt resolution sparked a lawsuit between House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and the Department of Justice, a lawsuit that is currently weaving its way to a court decision. It is expected that the federal judge will overturn President Obama’s assertion of executive privilege in the case. 

Obama asserted the lesser deliberative process privilege over the documents, a privilege that is traditionally viewed automatically invalid whenever there is even a suspicion of government wrongdoing, and in Fast and Furious the administration and president have admitted wrongdoing took place. However, the administration is expected to appeal any decision all the way through the court system up to the Supreme Court.

Last Congress, 130 House Republicans demanded Holder resign his position immediately over Fast and Furious, as did eight Senators and several governors. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has a new resolution this Congress similar to the one he introduced in the previous Congress demanding Holder resign his position.

Holder has taken heat for scandals other than Fast and Furious, including the administration’s domestic drone policy. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) filibustered the nomination of CIA Director John Brennan earlier this year on the Senate floor for 13 hours, with support from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), until Holder agreed to answer whether the president had the authority to use a drone to kill an American on American soil.

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