Judging Holder

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Say what you will about Eric Holder and whether he should or should not be Obama's AG -- and, despite some nagging concerns (e.g., the Mark Rich pardon, his views on mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes), and one major concern (his very Bushie position that Gitmo detainees are not covered by the Geneva Conventions), I tend to see him as suitably progressive (especially on guns, the death penalty, executive authority, and the war on terror) -- at least he understands that waterboarding is torture, which puts him well above the Ashcroft-Gonzales crowd.

Not that the standard should be as low as just better than the Bushies, but still. It's encouraging.