Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Orrin Hatch to support Eric Holder.

The Hill:
The former Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will support Eric Holder's nomination for attorney general, giving him a major boost toward confirmation.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), who chaired the panel for a decade beginning in 1995, told The Hill that he will support Holder. “I intend to,” said Hatch.

His decision could undermine GOP efforts to stall or block the confirmation. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said Friday that Holder would be the only Cabinet nominee to face a tough confirmation fight.

Hatch said that Republicans should try to strike a cooperative tone with President-elect Obama during the first days of his administration.“I start with the premise that the president deserves the benefit of the doubt. I don’t think politics should be played with the attorney general,” he said.

“I like Barack Obama and want to help him if I can.”

Arlen Specter's wanking away on the Ashcroft nomination.
This morning, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) took to right-wing talk radio to continue his
politically-motivated crusade against President-elect Obama’s Attorney General designate Eric Holder.
{snip}

Specter’s dismay at Leahy’s prediction is ironic, considering his past statements. On December 24, 2000, two days after then President-elect Bush announced that he had selected John Ashcroft for Attorney General and three weeks before Ashcroft’s confirmation hearings, Specter went on Face the Nation and confidently predicted that Ashcroft would be confirmed by the Senate:

SCHEIFFER: Senator Specter, you’re on the Judiciary Committee. Can John Ashcroft be confirmed?

SPECTER: Yes, I think he can be, and will be. I think the president is entitled to great latitude in the selection of his Cabinet officers. And I know John Ashcroft very well. He’s a first-rate lawyer. He was attorney general of Missouri.

1 comment:

airJackie said...

For some Senior Republican Law Makers like Hatch it's sinking in that Obama is the President and Hatch is doing as much sucking up as possible. Magic Bullet Specter is on a mission because Eric Holder could hit the final nail in Specters career with investigations in Specters crimes. Look these Republican and even some Democrats have been committing crimes for the pass 8 years and this could end their careers. Gitmo will bring down some but the Econmy will bring down many many more. Senior Law Makers looked at free money from Bush/Cheney and took it. Never thinking those secrets would come out.