Holder First African-American Attorney General

Holder's nomination has already drawn some spirited views from both parties. Many people fully support his nomination and already look forward to Holder's top priorities of reforming the Justice Department to bring back its credibility and boost its reputation after controversies surrounding both its hiring practices and its anti-terror regulations gave it a face the public has not admired much of late. There are others, however, who look upon Holder's past support of a presidential pardon for a financier named Marc Rich, who had spent several years evading tax charges, as a black mark upon Holder's record.

President Peter Flaherty, President of The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), states, ''Holder is not ethically qualified to serve as Attorney General. His track record is not one of independence or objectivity. Instead, he has been guided by politics and self-interest.''


On the other hand, Senator Jeff Sessions, a conservative Republican from Alabama, fully supports Holder and considers his record strong enough to stand on its own. ''I like him and I would hope that nothing comes up that would jeopardize his nomination if he were nominated. But he'll have to answer questions and his record will speak for itself.''

Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. offered his support, stating ''[Holder] would make an outstanding nominee, and should have the support of senators from both sides of the aisle if President-elect Obama were to choose him for this critical position.''

There is no doubt that Holder has an impressive resume. During his career in the legal field, he has served as a judge, as a prosecutor, and as a defense attorney for Covington & Burling. Holder has been in private practice since 2001. Some of his cases remain before the Justice Department. He is currently handling civil case negotiations for the Chiquita International Brands. Holder already made history in 1997 under President Clinton's administration when he was appointed as the deputy attorney general, then the highest-ranking African-American law enforcement official in the country.

His awareness of racial issues was raised in 1963, with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and when the news was full of integration and the University of Alabama. Holder began reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X as well as biographies of other public servants. He was a good student and stayed involved through high school. After high school, he majored in political science at Columbia and later attended law school there. He clerked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and worked a job in the Justice Department after law school graduation.

Holder looks to the future optimistically, however, and is already making plans. If he is nominated, he will try to win back confidence in the Justice Department. Said Holder in an interview last year, ''Internally, there is a morale problem the likes of which I have never seen before. Externally, there is a crisis of confidence that the nation has with regard to the department.'' Holder hopes to raise morale and reverse this crisis, helping to bring more solidarity to the nation.

Events have already been set in motion and as soon as the announcement is made officially, perhaps later this week, there will be more discussion as the Senate decides whether or not to confirm Eric Holder as the next U.S. Attorney General. With Democrats currently in control of the Senate, however, it is highly unlikely that Holder will not be confirmed.