What's the Hold Up? Part V

When Will Obama Stop Ignoring The Controversial Record Of His Senior Adviser?

WASHINGTON, June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued
today by the Republican National Committee:
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )
Obama's Senior Adviser And VP Vetter, Eric Holder, Served As Deputy
Attorney General When The Clinton Administration Pardoned Two Members Of The
Weather Underground:
The Clinton Administration Commuted The Sentence Of Two Members Of The
Weather Underground While Holder Was Deputy Attorney General. "While most of
the attention at the time was focused on the Rich pardon, and the
contributions Rich's ex-wife Denise made to the Clinton library and campaigns,
there was also extensive criticism of the commuted sentences of two convicted
members of the domestic terror group, the Weather Underground, Susan Rosenberg
and Linda Sue Evans." (Avni Patel and Brian Ross, "Obama's VP Screener Missed
Problems With Controversial Clinton Pardons," abcnews.go.com, 6/20/08)
-- Obama: "By Senator Clinton's own vetting standards, I don't think she'd
make it since President Clinton pardoned or commuted the sentences of two
members of the Weather Underground, which I think is a slightly more
significant act than me serving on a board with someone for actions that he
did 40 years ago." (Avni Patel and Brian Ross, "Obama's VP Screener Missed
Problems With Controversial Clinton Pardons," abcnews.go.com, 6/20/08)
-- Click Here To View (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGGy2sk72J4)
Holder Has Been Involved In Numerous Controversial Actions, Including The
Commutation Of The Sentences Of Two Members Of The Weather Underground And The
Seizure Of Elian Gonzalez:
Then-Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder Was Involved In The Seizure Of
Elian Gonzalez And His Return To Cuba. "At issue ... legal advisor Eric
Holder, a member of Obama's vice-presidential search committee who was deputy
attorney general when the 6-year-old boy was seized by federal agents and
returned to Cuba." (Beth Reinhard, "Elian Saga Might Hound Obama Visit," The
Miami Herald, 6/19/08)
-- Holder Defended The Right Of The Federal Government To Seize Gonzalez
By Force. "The Justice Department yesterday warned the Miami relatives of
Elian Gonzalez that force could be used 'if it becomes necessary' to return
the boy to his father. 'We have that power,' said Deputy Attorney General Eric
Holder. 'The father and son need to be together. It is not only a matter of
federal law and immigration law, it is simply the right thing to do.' Holder
said U.S. marshals would be prepared to seize the boy only as a last resort,
and he described a series of escalated steps over the next few days to keep
pressure on Elian's Miami relatives to make a peaceful transfer of custody."
(Richard Sisk, "Gov't Says Force An Option Reunite Father, Son," [New York]
Daily News, 4/7/00)
-- Holder Also Defended The Use Of Guns In The Raid. "Mr. Holder said his
agents were heavily armed when they entered the house because they had
'intelligence that the possibility existed there were guns in the house. We
had to make sure our people were protected and they were in a position to
protect people within the house. I don't know if there were any guns in the
house. I don't know if they found any guns. We had to deal, however, with the
intelligence we had that we got from local sources and make sure everybody was
adequately protected.' Apparently no guns were found." (Jerry Seper and
Clarence Williams, "Holder Defends Sudden Raid For Elian," The Washington
Times, 4/24/00)
Holder Played A Major Role In The Decision To Grant Clemency To 16 Former
Members Of The Puerto Rican Terrorist Group The Armed Forces Of National
Liberation (FALN). "Holder, a Barbadian immigrant's son who grew up in Queens
and received his law degree from Columbia, has played major roles in the probe
of Democratic funny-money in the 1996 elections, the Sexgate scandal and the
recommendation to President Clinton on whether to free FALN terrorists from
jail. A list of FALN documents withheld from Congress shows that many memos on
the FALN clemency decision went directly to Holder, while Reno's role was
minimal." (Brian Blomquist, "Ailing Reno Yielding Reins Of Justice," New York
Post, 12/15/99)
-- Although The FBI Opposed Clemency, Holder Supported Clemency For The
FALN Members. "Although The New York Times reported that the FBI, Bureau of
Prisons and U.S. state attorneys opposed clemency, Deputy Attorney General
Eric Holder, the Justice Department official most involved with this issue,
reportedly supported clemency. 'Eric Holder told me he was recommending that,'
a high-ranking official said. Ruff also supported clemency, sources said.
Holder declined to comment." (Edward Lewine, "How Bill Chose Clemency," [New
York] Daily News, 9/5/99)
Holder Played A "Key Role" In The Pardoning Of Marc Rich. "Now Obama needs
to turn his attention to another member of that committee - Eric Holder, a
former No. 2 in the Clinton Justice Department who played a key role in
processing the infamous last-minute pardon of the notorious tax-cheat fugitive
Marc Rich." (Editorial, "Obama's Bus," New York Post, 6/12/08)
-- Holder Reviewed The Pardon Of "Fugitive Financier" Rich. "The criticism
Thursday centered on Obama adviser Eric H. Holder Jr., who is scrutinizing
candidates to be the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee's running
mate. As deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewed
the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich." (Jim McElhatton, "GOP
Hits Another Obama Adviser," The Washington Times, 6/13/08)
-- Holder "Waved Through" Rich's Pardon In The Final Days Of The Clinton
Administration. "As Bill Clinton's deputy attorney general, he was the
gatekeeper for presidential pardons. Most famously, he waved through the
pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich in the waning days of the Clinton
White House." (Jonathan Weisman, "Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder," The
Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)
-- "In 2002, A Congressional Committee Reported That Holder Was A 'Willing
Participant In The Plan To Keep The Justice Department From Knowing About And
Opposing' The Rich Pardon." (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, "Obama's VP
Search Mistake," New York Post, 6/5/08)
-- "Neither Clinton Nor Holder Ever Consulted With The Pardon Attorney."
(Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, "Obama's VP Search Mistake," New York
Post, 6/5/08)
In 2002, Eric Holder Lobbied On Behalf Of Global Crossing After The
Company Had Accumulated Nearly $12 Million In Debt. "Smelling blood in the
water, Republicans now plan to pounce on another member of Obama's veep-
selection committee, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, for his
lobbying on behalf of telecom giant Global Crossing. Holder lobbied for the
company, which underwent one of the largest bankruptcies in American history
after racking up nearly $12 million in debt, as it emerged from bankruptcy in
2002, Senate lobbying disclosure documents reveal." (Charles Hurt and Geoff
Earle, "O's Veep Hunter Quits," New York Post, 6/12/08)
PDF Format (http://www.gop.com/images/research/062108Research2.pdf)

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