Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Politico Live:

Under questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Eric Holder, the attorney-general nominee, said waterboarding is torture.

“I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture,” Holder said in what amounts to a dramatic reversal of the Justice Department’s policy under President Bush.

Holder also rejected the argument made by Bush administration officials that the president’s power in an a national emergency overrode constitutional restrictions.

“No one is above the law,” Holder said.

Leahy also questioned Holder’s view on the Second Amendment, specificially whether the right to bear arms is an individual, not a collective, right. The Supreme Court ruled as such in a recent case striking down the District of Columbia’s handgun ban.

“The Supreme Court has spoken,” Holder said. “That is now the law of the land.”

FOX:

Eric Holder was testifying Thursday at his confirmation hearing in hopes of becoming the nation’s first African-American attorney general.

Barack Obama’s choice for attorney general, Eric Holder, denounced waterboarding as torture at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.

Holder issued a clear answer to a question that two previous attorney generals have deftly avoided. Holder unequivocally said the harsh interrogation tactic that has been used by the CIA is torture.

It is a clear break from the Bush administration, which has said that the U.S. does not torture but has stopped short of saying whether waterboarding is covered by that definition.

Waterboarding is an interrogation technique that stimulates drowning.

Holder was testifying in hopes of becoming the nation’s first African-American attorney general. He says he will serve in an independent manner if he is put in charge of the Justice Department.

Over the past several years, under the Bush administration, the Justice Department has been dogged by accusations of political influence. Holder served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Bill Clinton.

Holder addressed the controversial pardon fugitive financier Marc Rich, saying he made mistakes but believes he’ll be a better attorney general having learned from the experience.

Holder reiterated that he regrets not studying the proposed pardon more before discussing it with Clinton. At the time, Holder said he was neutral, leaning toward supporting the pardon.

On Thursday Holder said he should have consulted with prosecutors and studied the issue more closely before making that statement. The Rich pardon is expected to be a key topic at Holder’s confirmation hearing.

Holder is expected to face some tough Republican questioning during the hearing. But there’s been no indication from any Republican that GOP lawmakers will oppose his confirmation.

Republicans see the hearing as their best forum for showing that as a minority party, they’re still relevant. Holder sought to head off some of that criticism by picking retired Sen. John Warner to introduce him to the Senate.

Warner, a popular, well-known Republican, called for Holder’s confirmation. He described Holder as a veteran prosecutor who has investigated public corruption in both parties.