General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFor those of you ready to toss Holder to the hyenas - SHAME ON YOU!!!!
Really?
I'm not asking you to say Holder is your favorite person on Obama's team nor claim he's been the best AG ever. All I'm asking you to do is open your eyes and see what's happening.
FACT: Dozen of GOP Controlled states are doing massive amounts of voter purging and suppression many of them in grave violation of civil rights.
FACT: Department of Justice led by Eric Holder open up investigation into some of these voter purges because lets face it - they target the poor, the elderly and minorities or in other words people who tend to vote democrat. These are some huge swingstates like Florida and Pennsylvania where a few thousand votes could swing the state from Dem to Republican.
FACT: Darrell Issa, who took over for the Goverment Oversight since GOP took the house has spent all his time running these bogus investigations on the Obama administration and now is investigating an operation that was created by a bill HE VOTED FOR UNDER THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION as trumped up charges against Eric Holder.
GOP is hoping to smear the DOJ and shake things up so these illegal voter purges & suppression can continue.
This isn't about whether or not you think Eric Holder has done a good job these past 3.5 years. This is about whether or not you want to help the GOP continue to purge voter lists and help steal the election this fall.
This Fast and Furious bill passed under George W. Bush administration and now I've read where Issa even voted for it. Sounds a bit bullshit to me this investigation.
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)proud that he was protecting Holder and that he had claimed EO.
Laurian
(2,593 posts)I am no fan of Holder, but caving (again) to these Neanderthals would only embolden them.
progress2k12nbynd
(221 posts)peace frog
(5,609 posts)Issa is an assclown who is in no position to sit in judgement on Holder.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)"Have the voter purge investigations ended? Would they if Holder resigns?"
...the wrong questions. I mean, you seem to be implying that Holder should resign, giving Issa the satisfaction, because the "voter purge investigations" would continue without him.
The questions should be:
Do you think Issa will drop the issue? That Republicans will jump to confirm another AG? That if confirmed, they'll give the next AG a pass? That Republicans will suddenly end their attempts to make Obama a one-term President?
Here's a hint:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002839253
morningfog
(18,115 posts)I think Holder should have resigned a long time ago. It's no doubt the repugs will go after anyone and everyone as long as they have the Chairs in Congress. I'm just no fan of Holder. I wouldn't lose sleep over his departure. I don't really see him lasting into the next term, anyway. No, I don't want to give Issa a scalp. But, I don't think it will or should disrupt the voter purge investigations.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)I don't think it should happen now.
We don't know how it may or may not impact the voter purge investigations, but there is every reason to think it could, and it could also disrupt the campaign far more than it is at the moment.
We also don't know all the details of exactly what Holder has been doing these last 3 1/2 years, or why.
I have been very disappointed in many ways with this administration BUT I do think that Obama did the right thing by invoking executive privilege.
Issa and the GOP won't be satisfied with a single scalp. Give them one, they'll just go after another. This is a war. There will be time after the elections to re-think the team. Right now, it's time to circle the wagons.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)Proud Liberal Dem
(24,414 posts)ACORN, Van Jones, Shirley Sherrod (though she was offered her job back). Didn't gain President Obama anything whatsoever with the Repubs. Throwing Holder to the wolves now won't help anything IMHO.
savannah43
(575 posts)There is so much to choose from.
Holder must stay. Issa has gotten overly confident in his ability to do bad deeds. We need to get him.
Go here: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/01/06/darrell-issas-ominous-past-twitter-avatar-top-10-reasons-issa-is-the-perfect-obama-watchdog/
libtodeath
(2,888 posts)go west young man
(4,856 posts)Fuck em. Don't give em an inch. They are all psychos who will always take a mile or more.
ananda
(28,866 posts).. obviously in order to destroy Holder and the Obama admin
and allow voter purges and voter rights' abuses to occur in
many states.
The problem is that Holder has been a horrible AG in every
respect except going after voter purges in Florida and
voter ID laws in several states.
However, on this issue alone, Issa should be stopped stat.
It's a Reep agenda witch hunt with its only goal being to
allow Reeps in the states to follow through with the new
"Jim Crow" voter laws and purges, and to create a smokescreen
for the fact that the ONLY Reep agenda is to destroy Obama
and the American economy without creating any jobs whatsoever.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Sid
TahitiNut
(71,611 posts)A bogus operation begun, under legislation sponsored by the GOP, DURING THE Bush/Cheney ADMINISTRATION, by a regional ATF office in Phoenix, results in thousands of guns being supplied to narco-terrorists ... and the despicably corrupt GOP pursues a SHAM "investigation" DELIBERATELY IGNORING ANY 'EVIDENCE' FROM THE BUSH/CHENEY YEARS, and obtains many thousands of "open kimono" documents from the DOJ ... and then pretends that's not enough?? They demand documents that the DOJ IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM DISCLOSING and then accuse Holder of contempt because he's following the law???
Issa (and his GOP cohorts) is engaged in one of the most obviously fraudulent abuses of Congressional power I've ever seen. Fucking incredible.
flamingdem
(39,313 posts)apart from their Holder Hate they are truly lost
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)all this Holder hatred here?? I don't get it.
klook
(12,157 posts)justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)You must stop that right now... because people died because of this operation and somehow that has become Obama and Holder's fault to some on DU. Even though, it would appear that, as soon as Holder found out about this Bush admin operation, he shut it down and started an investigation... an investigation no one seemed interested in until Holder started making noise about the voter purging. Let us also ignore that this whole thing is really been fueled by a right-wing bloggers' conspiracy theory over this whole thing. That the Obama admin is being lax on gun control so in his second term he can abolish the 2nd amendment (and there are repub politician's spouting this BS as fact).
There's a lot that stinks about this entire thing and it's very reminiscent of how the Repubs went after the Clintons until something stuck.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,414 posts)some people on the left are trying to use this as their excuse/opportunity for getting rid of Holder, whom they don't like due to policy differences. What some people don't seem to realize is that dumping Holder right now will result in the GOP foot dragging for the rest of President Obama's term to confirm a replacement nominee, ensuring that important things (i.e. voter suppression) go unaddressed in the meantime, not to mention the fact that Holder's replacement is NOT (likely) going to be some kind of ultra-progressive either.
ProfessionalLeftist
(4,982 posts)...I know what's behind this crap. Mostly, DISTRACTING the nation's attention from the illegal voter purges and other violations of the Voting Rights Act and the Voter Registration Act, and PREVENTING Holder from being able to prosecute GOP operatives for those violations. GOP is breaking civil rights laws all across this country!
And, GOP is being manipulated by the NRA and some whack-ass delusional conspiracy theorist whose talking points they've all been repeating ad nauseum since 2010.
It's bullshit!
Nothing against Holder from me. Holder isn't the problem. The GOP is the problem - with their penchant for flouting civil rights laws and subscribing to whacko conspiracy theories.
mopinko
(70,120 posts)deja vu. people who don't learn from the deja vu are destined to repeat it.
RedCloud
(9,230 posts)Didn't he "order" Holder to produce federally protected documents that would be a crime to do so?
So if Issa asked Holder to commit a crime and all this is on public record, why not arrest the clown?
bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)next year (so he clearly already considers Obama's re-election a stone-cold lock), and does anyone really need a crystal ball to see that articles of impeachment would closely follow that? This prick is planning on making this his ultimate political legacy.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)That's what the GOP did when they control congress when Bush was president. They all sat on their asses and rubberstamped everything.
Woody Woodpecker
(562 posts)and put Issa in a position where he has no power and will be relegated to a pathetic subcommittee who has no relevance in the US and just a placeholder for Issa.
Even better would be the ousting of Issa in the election.
MADem
(135,425 posts)every day of the week, forty weeks a year....but he hasn't done shit.
He's only going after Holder because the NRA TOLD HIM that his good NRA rating depends on it.
H2O Man
(73,558 posts)I have nothing more to add to the OP -- you did an outstanding job! Thank you!
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)But you've brought up some good points as to why this would be a terrible time to get rid of him. So yes, you've changed someone's opinion on an online forum. It is possible
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)I'm not even a charter member. Just recognize what the GOP is doing and realize that for him to resign over this is just plain dumb.
BTW welcome to DU
panader0
(25,816 posts)warrprayer
(4,734 posts)is a dick but those looking to undo him are far worse.
LaurenG
(24,841 posts)crap. Nany, nany boo- boo or I told you so is fine but "shame on you" makes me want to scream profanities no matter who t's directed at.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)I don't care if they want to go after the proverbial dog catcher, give them NOTHING. Not the time for anyone to resign, be asked to leave, or whatever.
Personally, I think your OP needed to be presented as it was, and I want some more Dems to come out and publicly say the same.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)then who is going to take on the immigration issue and voter problems. We cannot afford to have that happen.
barbtries
(28,798 posts)typical of republicans. have i mentioned today how much i HATE THEM???
Cary
(11,746 posts)"Conservatives" are fascist thugs and there's just no way around it. They're sociopaths. There is no working with them. There is no compromise to be worked out with them.
We have no viable alternative but to crush them.
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)that bullies do not understand the language of compromise. They understand only dominance and subordination. IOW, you either dominate them or they dominate you (in their moral and ethical landscape).
For the most part, I find this description befits the current Repigs to a 'T.'
Sorry I cannot remember the DUer who made the point, but if you happen to read this, thank you.
dawg
(10,624 posts)I'm not a fan of the AG, but it would be foolish to toss him under the bus. You are right; it would only embolden them.
Sadly, we have been all too willing in the past to cave in and force resignations from people in similar situations. It's time to draw the line.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)But this isn't the way to get him replaced
treestar
(82,383 posts)Gee, Geithner's getting a vacation here.
solara
(3,836 posts)I could not agree with you more than I do. I think the regressive GOP party is traitorous and dangerous and why the so called mainstream media does not expose this for what it is is beyond my comprehension!
FSogol
(45,488 posts)Marr
(20,317 posts)moment your political opposition places them in their sights. If you want loyalty, you have to give it.
For the record, I think the notion of Holder resigning over this is ludicrous in the extreme. It's a blatantly phony investigation built around a flimsy conspiracy theory, and the whole thing belongs to the Bush Administration anyway.
clang1
(884 posts)Why Did Obama Join Reactionaries in Dumping on ACORN?
http://my.firedoglake.com/valtin/2010/06/20/why-did-obama-join-reactionaries-in-dumping-on-acorn/
But when, after Federal District Judge Nina Gershon struck down the illegal ban on funding for Acorn on March 12, the Obama administration appealed this decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. I have never seen this reported at Daily Kos.
Heres how it was reported at Law.com back on April 21 (emphasis added):
A federal appeals court was asked Tuesday to allow enforcement of legislation stripping the embattled activist group ACORN of government funding
.
Tuesday, [Mark] Stern was asking the circuit for an emergency stay pending appeal of a March decision by Eastern District Judge Nina Gershon, who granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the funding restrictions.
Gershon found that the legislation was an unconstitutional bill of attainder, a rarely litigated bar in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9) on legislation punishing a single person or group.
She denied the governments motion for a stay pending appeal on March 31 and Stern headed for the 2nd Circuit, where he argued Tuesday before Judges Roger J. Miner, Jose A. Cabranes and Richard C. Wesley in ACORN v. United States, 10-992.
Stern claimed that Congress had the right to instruct agencies to withhold funding from ACORN amid "indisputable reports of ACORN mismanagement nationwide."
"This is a case of taking steps on the appropriation of federal funds," Stern said. "And if Congress sees widespread mismanagement, it says time out."
WTF? ACORN had already been cleared by this time. What is Stern and the Obama DoJ talking about? And, btw, dont tell me Stern is a right-wing Bush left-behind. Sterns years at DoJ go back to the Clinton administration, and he received a DoJ special commendation award in 2007 for his work in the U.S. v Philip Morris landmark case.
-----
powwow June 21st, 2010 at 10:21 am 21
The Circuit Court, by the way, reserved decision on the ACORN appeal from the Obama DoJ, and in the meantime left the ban on funding in place, until the appeal was decided.
That funding ban had been removed by Judge Gershon in December, 2009 (via a preliminary injunction which she made permanent in March), and was therefore not in effect at the time the Second Circuit panel acted.
Thus, a three-member panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously decided, in April, 2010 within a day of a hearing held in response to the Obama administrations request to lift Judge Gershons injunction to reinstate the punishing Congressional/Presidential ban on consideration of federal funding applications from ACORN.
That is, those three appellate judges speedily reinstated apparently without regard to the obvious harm that would accrue to ACORN and its clients as a result a funding ban for the duration of the Second Circuits consideration of the merits of the government appeal a funding ban that Judge Gershon had determined to be an unConstitutional Bill of Attainder, and ordered lifted, starting in December, to protect ACORNs rights. This in the face of both multiple independent investigations publicly clearing ACORN and Judge Gershons considered findings of the month before:
Plaintiffs [ACORN] have prevailed on their bill of attainder claim. They have also established irreparable harm and the need for both declaratory and injunctive relief. Therefore plaintiffs motion for declaratory relief and a permanent injunction is GRANTED.
- United States District Judge Nina Gershon, March 10, 2010
-----
Why?
----- There is more that is quite good
powwow June 21st, 2010 at 10:21 am 21 ...
As I further elaborated here, in response to Jeffs helpful follow-up reporting in his DailyKos diary (as cross-posted above) about the government appeal of Judge Gershons decision, two of that Second Circuit panels three appellate judges Jose A. Cabranes and Richard C. Wesley were also part of the shockingly-unjust and Constitutionally-hostile Second Circuit en banc majority in Arar, which casually tossed Maher Arars case out of federal court after six years of Arars fruitlessly trying (now that the Supreme Court has decided to look the other way by refusing to review the Second Circuit decision) to simply be heard on the merits of his rendition-to-torture claims in an American courtroom.
The unjust and power-serving thinking of too many of our federal appellate judges (however their actions may be disguised by misleading labels or political affiliations), like that evidenced in the actions of members of the three-member Second Circuit panel in ACORNs case in April, is castigated in no uncertain terms in the powerful dissents of the 7-4 Arar decision itself.
It's like peeling an onion with these people and I feel as though I am drowning some days. ACORN helped people. There have also been similar scams (to what brought down ACORN) against Planned Parenthood which provides more than just reproductive services to women, for some women it is their ONLY healthcare option. The rot is thick on both sides and We the People are caught in the middle of it all like flies in a trap.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)by Bush and the Obama adminstration gets the blame. .
Sounds like more republican bullshit. . .
HotRodTuna
(114 posts)If there wasn't anything in there that would make he or Obama look bad, I can't imagine he'd have a problem sharing it. The fact that he was ready to the other day, but then claimed privilege, is fishy. Scream conspiracy all you want, but Fast and Furious was a disaster, and this administration has to own up to it. And if they do, and don't try and sweep it away during an election year, I think it'll work out in their favor; unless there's a major screw up on their part.
It may not have been their initial idea, but they were in charge during most of it (Wide Reciever vs Fast and Furious) and you can't just blame it all on Bush. Holder is the top man, he gets to take the heat for things that happen under his watch, like it or not.
I don't buy that this is about voter intimidation either because whoever Obama replaced Holder with would follow the same track. I'm getting a little tired of all this voter intimidation paranoia as well, it's like buidling the case to explain the upcoming loss in November.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,234 posts)B Calm
(28,762 posts)just1voice
(1,362 posts)FACT: I don't care about any trumped up repuke distractions.
clang1
(884 posts)TheKentuckian
(25,026 posts)for the drug war folks wouldn't be here wringing their hands.
FACT: If we didn't habitually roll over every time the TeaPubliKlans look funny and almost every fucking time it is liberals and liberal organizations chucked under the bus to appease these evil fuckers they like all bullies wouldn't have thought they could play this shit.
FACT: It is the most ardent supporters of Holder, trying to circle the wagons now are first on the "cut em loose" bandwagon and only now when it is a Turd Way incompetent do they locate some gumption.
FACT: The prime defenses are "Bush started it" and "Look at how those war criminals got off" when the same people were all about letting them walk in the first place, even after the 2008 election and we should have gone straight to the mattresses and hit them till they bled and keep on going.
FACT: The "trumped up" seems more about TeaPubliKlan hypocrisy when this is their brain child, not that the allegations are false. "Hey, our guys should be able to be dirty and be dirty scot free, working against our interest because they get away with it (because we insist on letting them off the hook)".
FACT: Our intrepid new fighters will go right back to appeasement and throwing liberals to the dog not just after the election but if they come for groups or people of the left, having not learned shit. This is about protecting their guy not the people and the rule of law.
Jake2413
(226 posts)babylonsister
(171,070 posts)Woody Woodpecker
(562 posts)I want a pro-MMJ AG who's serious about prosecuting the 1%'ers and the right-wing fuckwits.
SunSeeker
(51,571 posts)I totally agree that DOJ should lay off the MMJ shops, but getting rid of Holder will not end the raids. Not when the head of the DEA refuses to say whether pot is worse than heroin. And if stoners would get off their asses and vote, pot would be legal. But this isn't about pot. This isn't even about Holder. This is about the GOP trying to make Obama a one-termer.
eridani
(51,907 posts)You NEVER get rid of someone when it means caving to the GOP, period.
spanone
(135,844 posts)JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)of the big banks or the mortgage industry to prosecute the bad guys in high places in those businesses.
But when it comes to Issa's silly witch hunt, I support Holder 100%. Issa is a fool and possibly much, much worse.
clang1
(884 posts)re The foreclosure fraud
U.S. AG Eric Holder, DoJ Head Lanny Breuer Linked To Banks Accused Of Foreclosure Fraud
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/eric-holder-banks-lanny-breuer_n_1218452.html
'Reuters reported in December that under Holder and Breuer, the Justice Department hasn't brought any criminal cases against big banks or other companies involved in mortgage servicing, even though copious evidence has surfaced of apparent criminal violations in foreclosure cases.'
'While Holder and Breuer were partners at Covington, the firm's clients included the four largest U.S. banks - Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo & Co - as well as at least one other bank that is among the 10 largest mortgage servicers.'
Whole damn system is rotten, everyone eating out of the others hand, on both sides and as usual We the People just get ________.
Makes me think of another post of mine on Power Structures.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)instead of having to spend most of his time dodging, weaving, and evading subpoeanas?
mlevans
(843 posts)I'd like to spread this far and wide.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)makes me wonder why people are so gung ho about dumping holder.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Ashcroft, Gonzales, and Mukasey -- otherwise known as The Three Stooges.
I can't wait for more information to come out from the archives of the NSA and the CIA to implicate Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld, and Ashcroft in their roles of the attacks on America more commonly known as "9/11".
Hannity Insanity's head will explode on camera when they are charged with crimes against this country.
Bill O'Lielly will go back to scrubbing his naughty bits with his special, imported Oriental falafel while whispering to himself "No spin zone, no spin zone."
And Rush Limbaugh will just blow up like a balloon until he pops!
clang1
(884 posts)it's simple. I am sick of settling for second best or the lesser of two evils. It is a common theme to our elections.
patrice
(47,992 posts)babylonsister
(171,070 posts)TheKentuckian
(25,026 posts)patrice
(47,992 posts)right time, by the right person.
Yep. Those bones are his and some other people's shield, for at least the time being.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)I dislike Holder. That being said, he needs to stay right where he is. To the stupid assed republicans- where was the outrage when Bush said "Executive Privilege" to EVERYTHING. Suck it, republicans.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)I agree with a previous poster, LaurenG, reply #26, about this. It's a saying I usually find cringe worthy. What comes to mind is a Saturday night live church lady type, wagging her finger at anything she finds objectionable to her rigid moral compass.
Peaceful Protester
(280 posts)Daily Kos: 2008: Darrell Issa Voted "YES" to Fund Project Gunrunner & Merida Initiative
http://tinyurl.com/6utn26u
Peaceful Protester
(280 posts)Republicans allocated Ken Starr millions to tell us Clinton had cheated on his wife.
It wasn't until much later we discovered the person leading the charge, Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, was also simultaneously involved in his own 2nd extramarital affair.
All together the cost of independent probes, by Republicans, into the Clinton administration, came to nearly $80 million taxpayer dollars.
(Reference: http://tinyurl.com/25f4ads)
Ken Starr Revisited?
Since Democrats control the Senate, the White House and federal agencies, Republicans can use House oversight hearings to slow down policies and practices of which they disapprove.
"The ability to hold hearings is a tool to help shape public opinion, put pressure on the Senate and maybe allow you at the end of the day to get concessions from the administration," said former Republican congressman Vin Weber, a Washington lobbyist.
(Reference: http://tinyurl.com/7ju5bxm)
The ability of this Committee to waste tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on a whim in order to pursue political fishing expeditions and to shape public opinion for partisan purposes is what should be investigated.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)K & R