GOP senators want more time to review Holder

Senate Republicans are demanding Democrats slow down the process of confirming Eric Holder, signaling President-elect Obama’s choice for attorney general has a tough road ahead.

At least five GOP senators are echoing concerns raised earlier in the week by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who wants more time for hearings and to examine the role Holder played in the Marc Rich scandal. The fugitive financier was pardoned during the last hours of the Clinton administration.

{mosads}Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Holder has emerged as Obama’s single most contentious nominee so far, among a group that includes other past partisans such as former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

“There is much more controversy surrounding him more than any of the other nominees … Hillary Clinton has her own set of issues, but I think there is more of a comfort factor with her than there is with Holder,” Kyl said.

Holder, who would be the first black attorney general, declined twice to comment between meetings with senators this week.

Republicans are objecting to Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy’s (D-Vt.) decision to begin the process on Jan. 8 with the goal of holding a final confirmation vote within a few days of Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Specter has asked for the hearings to begin on Jan. 26.

The barrage of Republican attacks has left Leahy livid and accusing Republicans of a double standard. Leahy says Republicans are hypocrites for insisting on a slow process after rushing through the appointment of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose stewardship of the Justice Department was subsequently criticized by both Democrats and Republicans.

The Vermont Democrat also released a statement Friday citing the swift confirmation process for Bush nominee John Ashcroft — three days in January 2001 — and current Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who was scheduled for hearings 30 days after his nomination was announced. Holder’s hearings were announced 39 days after his nomination was announced, Leahy said.    

“I think they’re lacking credibility,” Leahy said. “Every single Republican attorney general has been heard in less time than we’re talking about for Mr. Holder. The hypocrisy is getting knee-deep.”       

But that hasn’t convinced GOP members on his committee.

“There’s no way we’re going to be able to support a confirmation if they’re going to rush it through,” said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who sits on the Judiciary Committee. “I understand the importance of the attorney general. This guy’s got lots of qualifications. But what he shouldn’t be is short-boxed. What we’ve got to do is have time to do the research so we can ask the right questions.”

Kyl said Republicans are not necessarily opposing Holder, just the rush with which Leahy wants him confirmed. He denied the GOP is simply trying to weaken Holder before hearings start.

“What, asking for a few weeks’ extra time?” he said. “I spoke (on the floor) very little about the problems that he’s had or that he might have. I didn’t dwell on that at all. I dwelled on the time we have to look at him.”

Beyond leadership or Judiciary Committee members, even centrist Republicans share the same view that the Holder process should slow.

“I think we need more time to review his nomination,” said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.   

Specter said he hopes to reach an agreement with Leahy on a confirmation hearing date.

“We haven’t even gotten his questionnaire. We haven’t gotten the FBI report,” Specter said. “We’ve got, I think, 84 boxes and we’re going to get a lot of papers from DoJ and from the Clinton Library, and there’s some questions. There’s some significant questions.”