By Robert Laurie ——Bio and Archives--September 25, 2014
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Eric Holder Jr., the nation's first black U.S. attorney general, is preparing to announce his resignation Thursday after a tumultuous tenure marked by civil rights advances, national security threats, reforms to the criminal justice system and 5 1/2 years of fights with Republicans in Congress. Two sources familiar with the decision tell NPR that Holder, 63, intends to leave the Justice Department as soon as his successor is confirmed, a process that could run through 2014 and even into next year. A former U.S. government official says Holder has been increasingly "adamant" about his desire to leave soon for fear that he otherwise could be locked in to stay for much of the rest of President Obama's second term.So, Obama will have the rest of the year to select a replacement - someone who will, no doubt, be even worse. We're sure this is sad news for the President since Holder could always be counted on to shield administration members and ignore illegal gun running operations. Worse, the President's replacement pick will be facing an ugly confirmation process - one which (if it's not completed during the lame duck session) could involve a newly-energized Republican Senate.
"In the end, the decision to leave was Holder's alone — the two sources tell NPR that the White House would have been happy to have him stay a full eight years and to avoid what could be a contentious nomination fight for his successor. Holder and Obama discussed his departure several times and finalized things in a long meeting over Labor Day weekend at the White House."That's the problem with a sinking ship; it's so hard to keep the rats aboard. So, who's the frontrunner for the title of "Next Attorney General Who Will Probably Be Held in Contempt?"
...The sources say a leading candidate for that job is Solicitor General Don Verrilli, the administration's top representative to the Supreme Court and a lawyer whose judgment and discretion are prized in both DOJ and the White House."As the New York Times reported back in March of last year, Mr. Verrilli is a bit of a mixed bag:
It’s conventional wisdom in some circles that Mr. Verrilli is a fumbling lawyer who can’t hold his own at the Supreme Court. He received bad marks from professional colleagues after defending the Affordable Care Act last year, and obviously disappointed at least one prominent observer in Shelby County v. Holder — the voting rights case — a few weeks ago. This reputation is undeserved. Mr. Verrilli isn’t showy, but he is a deeply experienced and capable advocate who finds ways to make technical legal arguments that persuade a majority of justices. While he’s not inspiring, he’s often effective."Often effective" means, ipso facto, "often not effective." However, this would - by a large margin - make him the most effective member of Obama's team.
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