Update: Eric Holder Tries to “Hold” On

BUT IS HE GUILTY OF THE CRIMES OF WHICH HE IS ACCUSED?

by Sharon Rondeau

(Jun. 12, 2012) — Texas Senator John Cornyn has called for putative Attorney General Eric Holder to step down following Holder’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier today.

In a litany of complaints against Holder, Cornyn cited Holder’s prosecution of states which have attempted to stop illegal aliens and dead people from voting as well as national security leaks and the “Fast & Furious” gunrunning scandal.

Holder has recently appointed two former U.S. attorneys to lead investigations into the leaks.   One of the U.S. attorneys was appointed to his post by Obama.  The other has “coordinated the tax enforcement activities of the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the IRS.” The FBI has already commenced investigations into the source of the leaks, which released information on the killing of Osama bin Laden; a “kill list” which Obama reviews every Tuesday, possibly in the presence of a campaign aide; and a cyber program designed by the U.S. and Israel to disrupt Iran’s nuclear enrichment processing.

Obama said last Friday that he found it “offensive” that anyone might surmise the leaks came from “his White House.”  Members of Congress, particularly Sen. John McCain, want a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the national security leaks.

When asked if the people he appointed to investigate the leaks could be impartial, Holder answered that they could.  Cornyn accused Holder of “misleading” the House Oversight Committee about his knowledge of Fast & Furious, a gunrunning program which placed firearms into the hands of Mexican drug lords and other criminals, while Holder’s “inner circle” received “briefings” on the operation.  “There has been zero accountability at the Department of Justice,” Cornyn said.

During the White House press briefing today, spokesman Jay Carney contended that Holder has been cooperating with the investigation into Fast & Furious, reportedly reading from a prepared statement.

Holder reportedly asked House and Senate leaders on the record to meet with him in private “in an attempt to avoid a constitutional crisis and come up with way — creative ways, perhaps — in which we can make this material available,” referring to the thousands of pages of information subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee but not handed over by the U.S. Department of Justice, which Holder heads.  A committee vote in the House to hold Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the documentation is scheduled for next Wednesday.  The embattled attorney general was reportedly seeking a “deal” in regard to release of the evidence despite his department’s pledge to be part of “the most transparent Administration in history.”

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have been voicing their support for Holder’s resignation since last summer.

Since prior to the 2008 election, legal experts have stated that the U.S. would experience a constitutional crisis if Obama were installed as President and Commander-in-chief if he were not constitutionally eligible to serve.  Article II, Section 1, clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution requires that the president be a “natural born Citizen.”  Since 2008, a debate involving the Congressional Research Service (CRS), local and federal courts, state ballot challenges, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ensued as to the meaning of Article II and whether or not Obama meets the eligibility criteria.

There are also inconsistent stories about Obama’s birthplace, which may or may not play a part in determining his constitutional qualifications.

In May, Holder’s department filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio, claiming that Arpaio’s office commits racial profiling and denies Hispanics their civil rights.  Last September, Arpaio had launched a probe into the allegedly forged long-form birth certificate which Obama presented to the public on April 27, 2011.  Members of a Cold Case Posse working with Arpaio’s office recently spent a week in Hawaii, where they were conducting investigations not yet made public.

One year ago, the “White House Insider” had predicted that Eric Holder would have to resign his post.  Holder has said he will not resign.

Update, Jun. 13, 2012:  During questioning by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Holder stated that he has “enjoyed” serving as attorney general over a department with 116,000 employees.  “I’ve stuck by my guns,” Holder said.