Republicans, Tea Partiers and other conservatives on Thursday had a field day with the pending formal announcement that Attorney General Eric Holder will resign, by slamming him as one of the worst Attorneys General ever to hold office.
The White House was expected to announce his resignation Thursday afternoon, although Holder will likely stay on in his job until a replacement is confirmed, a process that could take several months.
Attorney General Eric Holder is resigning after serving as head of the Justice Department for six years, and Republicans could not be happier. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Still, conservatives around the country rejoiced as his departure, and threw a virtual party on Twitter. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a tweet that Holder holds the dubious distinction of being opposed to "both the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the U.S. Constitution."
Jenny Beth Martin, who co-founded the Tea Party Patriots, said simply "Breaking News: AG Eric Holder to Step Down — RT!"
First Attorney General ever to disagree with both the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. https://t.co/YZfODjJwS6
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) September 25, 2014Holder has been a constant foil for Republicans, who say he has refused to prosecute people at the IRS despite its politicization, and is generally uninterested in pursuing oversight of the Obama administration. In 2012, Holder was held in contempt of the House for not making public documents related to the Fast and Furious gun walking scandal.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who has sparred with Holder on several occasions, said Holder has been one of the most partisan attorneys general.
"Not only has he lied before members of Congress and, ultimately, been held in contempt, he has obfuscated the truth and been the most partisan, partial, prejudiced, and self-pitying Attorney General in my lifetime, including John Mitchell who went to jail for his crime," Gohmert said. "As a former judge who has questioned Holder numerous times before the House Judiciary Committee, it is frustrating to seek the truth and receive dishonesty and arrogance from the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government," he added.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) added that Holder was the most divisive people to hold the office in modern history, and noted that 17 Democrats supported the House vote to hold him in contempt.
"Time and again, Eric Holder administered justice as the political activist he describes himself as instead of an unbiased law enforcement official," Issa said. "By needlessly injecting politics into law enforcement, Attorney General Holder's legacy has eroded more confidence in our legal system than any Attorney General before him."
Sen. Pete Sessions (R-Ala.) tweeted that he hopes the next Attorney General "respects the rule of law."
The Cato Institute tweeted out, "Eric Holder: Worst Attorney General Ever?"
Radio host Mark Levin said, "Let's hope the next GOP administration throws the book at Eric Holder, a corrupt hack."
Now that Eric Holder is resigning, my hope is that the next Attorney General respects the rule of law.
— Pete Sessions (@PeteSessions) September 25, 2014Was Eric Holder the WORST Attorney General ever? Probably says @ishapiro: https://t.co/RwEVdWse58
— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) September 25, 2014Let's hope the next GOP administration throws the book at Eric Holder, a corrupt hack. https://t.co/wsbhpz3NPR
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) September 25, 2014Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) offered, "Good riddance Eric Holder. Your disregard for the Constitution of the United States will not be missed." In a second tweet, he said his words were "strong," but are "appropriate given his abysmal record as our Attorney General."
Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.) said the resignation is a "good day for America."
Good riddance Eric Holder. Your disregard for the Constitution of the United States will not be missed.
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) September 25, 2014But others were more circumspect. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) asked his followers, "What do you think about #AG #EricHolder stepping down?" And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote what might be the nicest Twitter message Holder gets all day, and even said he wishes Holder well in the future.
I appreciate AG Holder’s service to our country even though we had strong disagreements at times. I wish him well in future endeavors.
— Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) September 25, 2014
