Spin Cycle

Back in 2001, in the aftermath of the Marc Rich pardon, Vermont Sen. Pat Leahy, now the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was appalled. From columnist EJ Dionne:

"Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democratic member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was no less angry. 'It was a terrible pardon,' he said. 'It was inexcusable. It was outrageous. ... Here was a man who was involved in a huge swindle and has shown absolutely no remorse.' Usually, Leahy added, pardons go to those who have paid at least some penalty for their crime. Rich's penalty? He's been living 'a life of luxury' in exile in Switzerland and Spain."

If it was a terrible, inexcusable, outrageous pardon, wouldn't that probably mean you'd harbor a few concerns about the Deputy AG who went outside normal DoJ channels, overrode the line prosecutors and gave the White House a personal stamp of approval? Well, apparently Leahy doesn't.

Righteous to a fault on Bush administration blemishes, Leahy has given Obama's apparent AG nominee Eric Holder a full-throated endorsement, giving no sign that he even plans to raise his role in Rich at confirmation hearings:

"I have known Eric Holder for many years. If he is President-elect Obama's selection to be the next attorney general, Mr. Holder would bring the kind of leadership, temperament, experience, and judgment we need to restore the rule of law and rebuild the reputation of the Department of Justice so that it is worthy of its name."

And thus, touching the right bases in the Washington salons, Holder of the outrageous, terrible and inexcusable pardon comes out as restorer of the rule of law with leadership, temperament and judgment.