Obama Taps Holder for AG

Eric Holder, a former US Attorney, judge, and deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton, will be Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Justice Department, Newsweek reports. Sources say Holder has been considered for the post from the beginning, and he ran the Democrat’s vice-presidential search along with Caroline Kennedy. If confirmed, Holder would be the first African American Attorney General.

While it’s possible lawmakers could raise confirmation questions over Holder’s involvement in the controversial pardon of fugitive Marc Rich, Holder himself voiced concerns about the matter, and he and the Obama camp decided it would not be an insurmountable issue, particularly given the Democrats’ sizeable majority in the Senate. (More Barack Obama stories.)