Echoes of Obama

Covington & Burling partner Eric Holder, who in recent days has been taking jabs from the GOP in his role on Barack Obama's vice presidential search team, stayed on message Saturday in his speech before the American Constitution Society's annual convention.

The former number two in the Clinton Justice Department made no mention of his role in the Democratic veepstakes or Republican attacks. At the liberal legal confab, he called for closing the detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, ending all U.S. interrogation practices that might be classified as torture, and putting a permanent block on detainees to countries where torture is allowed.

"If we are to regain our place as a leader on the world stage, we must abandon these practices. This is our challenge," Holder said.