"Unwarranted Delay".

Unwarranted delay

Eric Holder has been a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (appointed by President Ronald Reagan), a U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia (appointed by President Bill Clinton), deputy U.S. attorney general (unanimous Senate vote), and he has had a thriving private practice in law.

He is Barack Obama's pick to be the nation's next attorney general, and he is supremely qualified for that job.

So why doesn't he have it yet?

Despite its exhaustive vetting and questioning (and Holder's answering), the Senate Judiciary Committee has not yet confirmed Holder's nomination. Indeed, Republicans on that committee have put a hold on the vote until next Wednesday.

The sticking point appears to be Holder's honest, unequivocal answer to the question of whether waterboarding is torture: Yes.

Alberto Gonzales and Michael Mukasey, immediate predecessors in the job, didn't do that, and they were confirmed.

So what's the problem?

Some senators want to know if Holder plans to prosecute people who took part in torture -- a ridiculous, front-end commitment forcing Holder to be either foolish or dishonest, and he is neither.

As Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said, "I think no prosecutor should say, 'This is who I will prosecute and this is who I won't prosecute.' "

Though Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cautioned against "politicizing policy differences," he also said, "I don't expect (Holder) to rule it in or rule it out."

The judiciary committee should be more concerned with Holder's ability to lead the restoration of the Justice Department to a place of respect and esteem. Its politicization and corruption that occurred under the Bush administration -- especially on Gonzales' watch -- was nothing short of scandalous.

Holder has the experience, the qualifications and the qualities to lead Justice out of the woods.

His leadership should not be delayed any longer by such partisan tactics.

Editor's comment: For the same reasons you mention (other than I would NOT accuse any Senator of partisanship under the circumstances YET), I join you in asking that The Senate IMMEDIATELY confirm Judge Eric Holder as POTUS Barack Obama's Attorney General. He, and his soon to be boss, deserve NOTHING less.