Looks like Eric Holder, ex-Clinton acting AG, will be Obama's AG

Looks like President-elect Barack Obama will name another former official from Bill Clinton's administration as attorney general.

He's Eric Holder, the 57-year-old former deputy AG under Janet Reno. (See news video below.)

According to NBC, Holder, a former U.S. attorney and Superior Court judge, was offered the job conditionally last week and accepted, pending formal vetting.

He would be the first African American to head the Justice Department.

But the formal announcement was withheld for two reasons.

First, Obama wants to name his economic team, including Treasury secretary, and his secretary of State up front.

And, second, he wants his transition people to run Holder's name by some influential senators.

Holder, you may recall, was the acting attorney general who approved Bill Clinton's last-minute list of presidential pardons just before leaving office.

That list included one very controversial and embarrassing pardon for fugitive investor Marc Rich, whose ex-wife coincidentally just happened to have made substantial contributions to Clinton.

Holder has previously sailed through Senate confirmation on other appointments. He was also co-chair along with Caroline Kennedy of Obama's VP search team. (See news video below.)

(UPDATE: Our blogging buddy Larry Harnisch over at the Daily Mirror has uncovered a revealing Times profile of Holder from 14 years ago, when Holder was a rising prosecutorial star.)

(2nd UPDATE: In his opening monologue tonight Jay Leno has some fun with the new names coming out of the new administration in Washington:

("The James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' was No. 1 at the box office -- $70 million. Quantum of Solace? Doesn't that sound like one of Barack Obama's new Cabinet members? 'Hi, I'm Barack. This is Rahm Emanuel. And our new man Quantum of Solace.'")

-- Andrew Malcolm 

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Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Tom]

Oh goody! Is this more of the "change" we keep hearing about?

[Chris McKinney]

Another black? Where does this leave the White Christian people in this country?

[Jeff in Orlando]

It looks as if Obama hasn't passed on one former Clinton appointee. Is there going to be a place for the big guy himself? With all these Clintonites, will their loyalties be to Obama or Clintion. It seems to me Obama is getting too close to Clintons.

[cecil]

He is obviously at least as much White as he is Black. Why, then, is he referred to as Black? And just how much African ancestry does it take to be Black? How much White ancestry does it take to be White? It is clear that this is a nhuge deal to the media. But is it really a huge deal to have a Black/White AG when we already have a Black/White president? Or is it the media that just needs to stir up controversy to stay economically solvent?

[mike a]

thank you for pointing about the marc rich pay for pardon. eric holden acted like a clinton flunky--so he is the best and the brightest? what about that tag line.....change?

[Ben]

For all the talk about the leakproof Obama team, they sure are leaking like a sieve during the transition.

[Please Select Ralph]

NO MO CLINTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sethook]

Why is Obama focusing on the ex-Clinton cronies? Is this part of the CHANGE promised during the campaign? Will we see Monica back under the desk?

[MrUniteUs]

Holder was first appointed by Ronald Reagan.

For the skin color challenged. What is wrong you?

[Joe]

What is Obama supposed to appoint 3rd graders just so he can say it's "Change"?

He has to appoint from available people with the required experience. That's going to be, for the most part, people who worked in either the Bush or Clinton administration.

You lookin for the change? It will be a change when Obama actuall accomplishes something good for this country. That hasn't happened in a while. In the AG's case, like stopping torture.