Eric Holder, Guantanamo

AG-nominee Eric Holder vote delayed due to objections

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ABC News reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed its vote:

Eric Holder’s bid to become the nation’s first African-American attorney general has been delayed a week.

Senate Republicans are demanding more time to question the nominee on a variety of topics. Among them is whether U.S. intelligence agents could be prosecuted for the harsh interrogations of terror suspects and what is the status of trials for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, sought a vote Wednesday to send the nomination to the full Senate, but GOP members invoked a rule that grants an automatic, weeklong postponement.

Barack Obama, Debra Burlingame, Eric Holder, Joe Connor

Senate Judiciary Committee hides dissent, objections to AG-nominee Eric Holder

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In addition to Joe Connor’s verbal testimony in opposition to Eric Holder becoming the Attorney General, his written testimony was accepted into the record. They also accepted Debra Burlingame’s written testimony.

But the Senate Judiciary Committee’s web page shows only letters of support of the nomination. (Note: On that page, use the ‘find’ command and the keywords ‘Connor’ and ‘Burlingame’ to confirm my assertion.) One caveat: using their search box and the keywords ‘Joseph Connor’ you can find and read a transcript of his verbal testimony.

President Barack Obama should also admonish those committee chairmen in Congress who deliberately hide within their records the voices of dissent here at home — the loyal opposition — from the American people.

Update, January 23, 2009: They still do not list the written testimony in opposition to Eric Holder’s nomination by Joseph Connor and Debra Burlingame. If you have Real Player, you can watch the full hearings from last week. While no new hearings are currently secheduled, the Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination on January 28.