The ‘One-Mistake Rule’
EmailIn an interview with Bloomberg News, Obama Transition Team co-chair John Podesta was asked about President-elect Obama’s nominee to be attorney general, Eric Holder, and his role in the Marc Rich pardon.
"In my judgment, it was a mistake," said Podesta, who as White House chief of staff at the time opposed the pardon.
That said, Podesta was quick to say, "if you look at the depth and breadth of Mr. Holder’s career, he’s had a tremendous career in public service as a prosecutor, as a deputy attorney general, as a line prosecutor."
Added Podesta, "if we"re all held up to a one-mistake rule, I think probably no one would be serving in government."
The Republican National Committee, however, says Holder’s tenure raises questions of more than one mistake, citing the former deputy Attorney General’s "role in the FALN Clemency Decision, the Elian Gonzalez seizure, the commuted sentences of two Weather Underground members" (which Mr. Obama himself raised against Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, during a Democratic debate) as well as his 2002 lobbying on behalf of Global Crossing, which went through one of the largest bankruptcies in history.
– jpt
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The RNC aren’t particularly good sports.
Posted by: kat | November 28, 2008, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
If Eric Holder becomes Attorney General, he will quickly prove to be PEBO’s biggest mistake.
Posted by: Thank God for Karma | November 28, 2008, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
The RNC is a HUGE joke. They have more criminals who were members of teh RNC than anybody.
Who cares what the RNC says. The Republican party has RUINED America from the Iraq War to Katrina to the current Economic Crisis.
Posted by: Michelle | November 28, 2008, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
the Republican National Committee talking about a potential Attorney General….
Republicans talking about an Attorney General?
SAY WHAT ???????????????????
Posted by: Blue | November 28, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
The Elian Gonzalez seizure was absolutely a must. The father of that child had a right to his son and the Cuban community should not have held him. As for the RNC, please spare us their opinions. They have already demonstrated how unfit they are to govern by the debacle of Bush’s presidency all the way to the bumbling of the Sarah Palin choice. Enough of Republicans!
Posted by: two-cats | November 28, 2008, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
If the republicans nominated the equivalent, there would be hell to pay with the socialist media!
Posted by: dl | November 28, 2008, 4:36 pm 4:36 pm
If Eric Holder becomes Attorney General, he will quickly prove to be PEBO’s biggest mistake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In what regard, Charlie?
Posted by: Question | November 28, 2008, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Our Greatest Smartest Leader only makes boneheaded mistakes; buying house with the aid of his financial aids Rezko, telling you to vote against before voting for giving the government power to spy on you, listing to his uncle-like rev ranting hatred for 20 years before disowning him when he is no longer beneficial, giving you $600 cash rather than saving the banking and mortgage crisis, going to nominate his family crony before asking her to withdraw Commerce secretary.
Holder is not a mistake at all. Mr. Holder has served President Clinton well and honorably, and he will be a good AG.
Posted by: fat cat | November 28, 2008, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
…and the RNC’s credibility stems from…where?
Posted by: 12_angry_men | November 28, 2008, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
The Republican party caused Katrina? Wow, what power they must have. Here’s hoping the DNC doesn’t have the power to cause such storms.
Posted by: Steve | November 28, 2008, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
The republican party is a mistake. Hopefully, one that can be remedied.
Posted by: JR | November 28, 2008, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
PEBO….Bryson? :-)
Posted by: MBNA Joe | November 28, 2008, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
I’ll take the Democratic Eric Holder over the Republican Alberto Gonzales any day.
Republicans are a disgrace!
Posted by: Robert | November 28, 2008, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
Let’s forget about all the other hyperventilating…what is it about the Elian Gonzalez case? didn’t the government return a son to his father? Isn’t that…you know…the right thing to do?
Posted by: TRW | November 28, 2008, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
well jpt,
elian g. case was not a mistake.
he should have been returned to his father.
Posted by: sugar | November 28, 2008, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
A PRESIDENT HAS THE POWER TO PARDON AT HIS DISCRETION!
Blame the Founders or amend the US Constitution!
The pardon of lucky Rich is fine, is Constitutional, is no harm to the nation.
STOP BEING SO FILLED WITH SPITE!
Posted by: Patriot | November 28, 2008, 6:47 pm 6:47 pm
Better Elian Gonzales than ALBERTO GONZALES.
TALK ABOUT A MISTAKE!!!
THE RNC CAN SHUT UP.
Posted by: R Mutt | November 28, 2008, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
After Gonzales and Goodling turned the AG’s office into a national embarrassment, the RNC has the nerve to talk about attorney generals??
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
(Wait until I get up off the floor; this is killing me!”
Posted by: Yvonne | November 28, 2008, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
Obama has been doing great with his appointments. DON’T SCREW IT UP by appointing Holder, who has a ton of baggage (regardless of whether it’s justified or not). It is stupid to justify his appt by comparing him to recent Rep AG’s – who cares about this. Obama is starting a new fresh admin, and it would be nice to start CLEAN. There are plenty of other great people. I want to see Obama succeed. DON’T make this an issue!
Posted by: Antonio | November 28, 2008, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
certainly holder can match reno in killing citizens….that will surely endear him to all the obama voters…after all, that is what they voted for, right?
Posted by: rollinson | November 28, 2008, 10:20 pm 10:20 pm
History has proven that they were right to seize Elian Gonzalez.
As for the RNC’s comments about Holder, anyone who didn’t oppose the incompetent crony, Alberto Gonzalez, should really just just shut up.
Posted by: Rich | November 28, 2008, 11:58 pm 11:58 pm
History has proven that they were right to seize Elian Gonzalez.>>
No. History has proven that they were HARD LEFT to seize Elian Gonzalez, a now brainwashed martyr to eternal, gibbering Democrat spinelessness in the face of a genocidal commie regime whose government we should have Iraq’ed into extinction decades ago.
And if you think Elian is so happy, posters, why don’t YOU go to Cuba yourselves?
Posted by: B. Sabakovic | November 29, 2008, 1:48 am 1:48 am
I like how the liberals who comment here call a man who helped pardon a Clintonite tax fraud who was involved in illegal deals with Iran during the hostage crisis(and fled to Switzerland), and the illegal kidnapping a child away from his family at the point of a machine gun, “fine” and “constitutional”. What an honorable choice, Barack! This kind of “change” we don’t need.
Posted by: Mihan | November 29, 2008, 7:34 am 7:34 am
Obamaco
Posted by: JamesJ | November 29, 2008, 8:12 am 8:12 am
Rich – how has history proven they were right to seize Elian Gonzalez? I’d say it’s still a matter of opinion and that you could make a case either way.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | November 29, 2008, 8:20 am 8:20 am
What about the proven discrimination against white males who were applying to be immigration judges? Durnford v. Reno! The Clinton Justice Dept.was responsible!
What role did Holder play?
Posted by: Jon Wong | November 29, 2008, 9:41 am 9:41 am
Letting Holder run Justice Dept. is like letting the criminals run the prison!
Posted by: ralph | November 29, 2008, 10:42 am 10:42 am
The Department of Justice is filled to the brim with right wing insurgents, thanks to 8 years of people like Monica Goodling running personnel affairs and management.
The Department of Justice NEEDS a “bad $$$” like Eric Holder to clean up the mess left behind by the GOP and Bush/Cheney/Addington/Yoo/Gonzalez and get it back on track again.
Posted by: Willem van Oranje | November 29, 2008, 10:59 am 10:59 am
“Submitted for your approval…”
Rudy Giuliani is probably the best qualified man in America to be Attorney General. In the alternative universe where President-elect McCain nominates him for AG every single misstep in Giuliani’s life (leave no doubt, there have been some) is huge in the eyes of the media.
Meanwhile back in our “real” universe, Eric Holder, who has more baggage than Giuliani and lesser credentials, will likely see smooth sailing in the overwhelmingly Democratic Senate and media.
That someone would actually come up with a one-mistake rule as a defense for Holder is so laughably ridiculous as to make one think maybe we now are in the wacky alternative universe.
“…That’s the signpost up ahead— your next stop, the Twilight Zone.”
Lets title this episode, “The One Mistake Rule”, a teleplay credited to one Jake Tapper, inspired by a quote from John Podesta, and based on the strange happenings in a small American town called Washington D.C.
Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | November 29, 2008, 11:23 am 11:23 am
I don’t think the GOP can even touch the word “mistake” without thinking PALIN!!! LOL!
Before you can see what is in the other guys eyes, you may want to pluck the splinters out of your own. Yup, Yup!
The man is at least QUALIFIED.
Posted by: Independant Woman | November 29, 2008, 11:44 am 11:44 am
It’s official. We can’t all get along, so let the Second Civil War begin. I personally am betting on the side with guns. .
Posted by: jimmy | November 29, 2008, 11:48 am 11:48 am
PEBO done had his one mistake, not being a citizen and all that.
Posted by: bill | November 29, 2008, 11:49 am 11:49 am
It’s full disclosure time: Eric Holder was Clinton’s incompetent but useful crony. Now he can be *Obama’s.*
Posted by: Old Dem | November 29, 2008, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
The man is at least QUALIFIED.
Posted by: Independant Woman | Nov 29, 2008 11:44:50 AM
Yes, the man is at “Least Qualified” on my scale as well. WIth that agreement of both sides in hand, the question now becomes how does President-Elect Obama withdraw the Holder nomination, and save face at the same time?
Hmmm. It looks like it is that time for Joe Biden to say something incredibly stupid again. Lets call it, Plan A, otherwise known as the “Biden’s lips are moving” diversion.
Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | November 29, 2008, 12:31 pm 12:31 pm
The myopia and mendacity of the left is despicable. Returning Elian Gonzalez to Castro was the payoff for Castro’s lawyer Greg Craig–and Clinton–who represented Clinton in the impeachment hearings and Archer Daniels Midland which sought approval to build a refinery in Cuba and now has been named Obama’s White House counsel. Somehow these facts escaped the notice of the liberal-media axis. Follow the money!
Posted by: Leonard Delgado | November 29, 2008, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
Right-wing lunatic fringe, marching in circles, talking in circles, NOBODY LISTENS TO YOU EXCEPT YOU.
YOU ARE OFFICIALLY IRRELEVANT.
GOODBYE.
Posted by: R Mutt | November 29, 2008, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
Looks like Obama is vetting all the old cronies for his administration. Same stuff, different day.
Posted by: Saddam | November 29, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Antonio says “Obama is starting a new fresh admin”. Shows you how dumbed down libs are. Hussein has brought together a bunch of Clinton re-treads due to his vast inexperience and his synchophants view this as change. Just goes to show you the gullability of the mindless left.
Posted by: Reilly | November 29, 2008, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Right-wing lunatic fringe, marching in circles, talking in circles, NOBODY LISTENS TO YOU EXCEPT YOU.
YOU ARE OFFICIALLY IRRELEVANT.
GOODBYE.
Posted by: R Mutt | Nov 29, 2008 12:41:42 PM
That is what I love about liberal tolerance. When they can’t tolerate you anymore, they call you some names and then they exit, stage left.
That is what I love about liberal tolerance. When they can’t tolerate you anymore, they call you some names and then they exit, stage left.
That is what I love about liberal tolerance. When they can’t tolerate…. Oh my Lord! R Mutt was right about that “talking in circles” thing.
Come back and save us. Please!!!
Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | November 29, 2008, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
I am so excited and happy that Obama will be nominating Gov. Napolitano for the Homeland Security and Holder for AG. They will fix the whole trashing immigration nightmare created by the racist, fanatics extreme right wingers.
Time for comprehensive Immigration Reform!
Andale andale, arriva arriva!
Posted by: Mexican yeah | November 29, 2008, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
“That is what I love about liberal tolerance. When they can’t tolerate you anymore, they call you some names and then they exit, stage left.”
Actually, they did not exit stage left. If you noticed, a majority of Americans kicked Republicans out stage left with considerable force, winning the vote of the largest percentage of Americans ever for a first term president. For perspective, Reagan won 19.32% in 1980 and Obama won 22.62% of the vote (percentages are simply votes divided by population, but the results are about the same if you start cutting by registered voters, eligible voter age citizens, etc).
Liberals did not exit stage left, the Republican Party of Ignorance did. And they didn’t walk off, they were given the gong by a landslide of Americans sick of their proven borrow-and-spend, elective war incompetence.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 29, 2008, 2:34 pm 2:34 pm
What with Bush, McCain, Gonzales, Cheney, Palin, Craig, and a some less notorious perverts, liars, and thieves, the RNC coprophages are going to be reduced to chewing their chocolate cuds for the foreseeable future. I love it!
Posted by: Bill in NC | November 29, 2008, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
So Holder bypassed the process for pardons for Rich, terrorists, and helped kidnap a boy in the middle of the nigh on Easter weekend.
This is change to go with the spare change you are left with after the Fannie & Freddie Parties.
Now where is Jamie Gorelick? Sure she help the 9-11 terrorists and bounded off with tens of millions for herself with the feeding trough “working” at Fannie and Freddie, a Democrat happy work zone for those “selected” among the party faithful.
We’ll be getting more change, spare change and all.
Posted by: romanesq | November 29, 2008, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
Yes, we should (and will) all make mistakes. The Obama led-liberal isn’t very good at seeing the implication of the size of the mistakes. That’s huge.
Posted by: ew | November 29, 2008, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
Wasn’t Global Crossing the out fit that made Terry McAuliffe a very wealthy man?
Posted by: dixie68 | November 29, 2008, 6:43 pm 6:43 pm
it’s crazy all the republican/racist hate coming towards Holder. the spew their hate trash while Bush is opening up the prison doors for his friends (he’s pardoning much more than turkeys). the Elian Gonzalez was sent to his father after the order of a judge (which after many, many appeals was upheld). the first thing an Attorney General should do is what a judge, after all appeals, has so ordered. hard to weave a bizzaro-conspiracy after carrying out a judge’s orders but the haters will try.
Posted by: Paul Wall | November 29, 2008, 8:36 pm 8:36 pm
It amazes me how many right wing nuts are complaining about how Obama will fare in running the Country, and correcting the problems caused by almost 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration and supported by right wing idiots in the RNC. Before you start on Obama critize yourselfs. I guess this another example of the Republican mentality, the statement ” You can’t fix, stupid” is still true when it comes to Greedy Ole Party!
I have every faith in Obsma’s ability to get America back on the right track.
It ‘s amazing what intelligence brings to the White House!
Posted by: wave06 | November 30, 2008, 2:43 am 2:43 am
dl -
You’re joking, right? Does the name Alberto Gonzales mean anything to you? He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t end up in prison.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | November 30, 2008, 8:10 am 8:10 am