Leahy Compares Holder to RFK, Says He Wants to Keep Up Torture Inquiry

Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today that Eric Holder Jr. has the potential to be an attorney general in the mold of Robert F. Kennedy.

In a news conference at the Capitol broadcast on C-SPAN, Leahy recalled what he saw as the independence of Kennedy’s Justice Department despite the fact that his brother John F. Kennedy was president. He said that the Justice Department of the early 1960s inspired young lawyers. “I look at the people he attracted—some of the brightest people in the country,” Leahy said.

“I think Eric Holder will be able to do the same thing,” he added.

Leahy (D-Vt.) said he and Holder have spoken about Holder’s nomination—made official this morning—but only in general terms. “Eric Holder and I have known each other for so long, we almost talk in shorthand when we e-mail back and forth,” he said.

He also said he would check with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, before setting a date for Holder’s nomination hearing. But he said he hopes the Senate could move quickly to confirm a “package” of top Justice officials about the time Barack Obama takes office as president. “My idea would be to go boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” Leahy said.

Asked by one reporter whether he intends to continue to investigate Bush administration officials and their interrogation policies, Leahy said that he does. “Personally, I would like to know exactly what happened,” he said, to prevent it from happening again. He added, “Torture is going to be a major issue. I can’t tell you how much we’ve hurt our image abroad…. All of that’s going to be reviewed.”