Attorney General Eric Holder, a longtime target of congressional Republicans, one of whom recently called for his resignation, made it clear yesterday that he is not going anywhere, reports the Washington Post. In a speech at Justice Department headquarters, he defended his two-year tenure and sketched out his priorities going forward, vowing to fight terrorism, violent crime, and financial fraud.
“Without question, the results that we've achieved have been historic,” Holder told more than 150 employees. “But I am not yet satisfied.'' Gone was the grim attorney general who abruptly ended a news conference this month after losing his battle to try the accused Sept. 11, 2001, conspirators in federal court. He took on critics who have questioned his efforts to revamp the department's civil rights division, which internal watchdogs say had been politicized in the George W. Bush administration.