Should Eric Holder Be Attorney General? Sen. Mel Martinez Retires After One Term, Barack Obama's National Security 'Team of Egos'

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Holder's Rocky Road to Attorney General

Bloggers are at odds over whether Attorney General nominee Eric Holder's role in the pardoning of Marc Rich by President Bill Clinton is a big deal or not. Some conservatives and liberals argue that while Holder's involvement and actions are disturbing, they should not disqualify him from the position. A Mother Jones blogger says that the lesson that Holder hopefully learned from the Rich pardon "could end up being a blessing in disguise." Other bloggers from both ends of the political spectrum feel strongly that Holder's inability to "say no to power" and his deep involvement in the pardon have serious implications that could mean Holder should not be allowed to serve the American people as attorney general. The New Republic has a list of other Holder "confirmation hiccups."

Martinez Out, Effective Lawmaker In?

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez (R) has decided to retire after his first term and not seek re-election, Chris Cillizza reports. Conservative and liberal bloggers point out that the "hapless, ineffective lawmaker" probably wouldn't have been re-elected, anyway. Michelle Malkin says it's good news that Mel "Shamnesty" Martinez won't be sticking around. It may also be good news for the GOP, who can now put a stronger candidate in the 2010 race.

Obama's "Team of Ballers"

Conservatives at National Review Online worry that Barack Obama's "Team of Egos" will self-destruct. "There may be no 'I' in the word team, but there's two in Hillary Clinton," writes Jonah Goldberg, "and another two in Bill Clinton." On the other hand, Peter Kirsanow argues that Obama's national security picks are "as good as conservatives could expect." No longer worried about Secretary of Defense Robert Gates's potential conservative leanings, liberals take comfort in the pending departure of his "less pragmatic" deputies at the Pentagon. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton's spokesman eliminates speculation that Bill Clinton is eyeing the takeover of the Hillary's Senate seat. Matthew Yglesias notes that Obama's "Team of Rivals" has one important interest in common: More than a few play Obama's favorite sport.

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