President-elect Barack Obama just held a news conference in Chicago to introduce his national security team, including Eric Holder Jr., his nominee for the country’s top law-enforcement official.
Holder’s name has been at the top of the list of potential attorneys general since Obama’s victory Nov. 4, and in recent weeks his nomination has been considered all but certain. Key senators have signaled they will support confirmation, though Republicans say they intend to question Holder about his role in the pardon of commodities trader Marc Rich in the waning days of the Clinton administration.
Even as the choice of Hillary Clinton for secretary of state dominated today’s news conference, the Obama team is touting Holder’s experience in “a number of significant positions in government.” The transition team’s official biography of Holder mentions his service as deputy attorney general and, briefly, acting attorney general in 2001.
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