Holder pledges to end water-boarding, close Guantanamo

Eric Holder, President Elect Barack Obama's nominee for Attorney General, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and touched upon how he intends to move the Justice Department away from the Bush administration's style of management.

"I will work to restore the credibility of a department badly shaken by allegations of improper political interference...under the stewardship the Department of Justice will serve justice, not the fleeting interest of any political party," said Holder.

"Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip have done much to stabilize the department...but there is more work to do."

The nominee pledged to balance combating terrorism with the Department's traditional duties of guarding the civil rights, preserving fairness in the free market, and providing consumer protection.

Upon questioning, Holder confirmed that he believed water-boarding, which has been a controversial interrogation technique, is torture.

Holder went on to state that the Justice Department will move to shut down the prison facility in Guantanamo Bay.

The nominee noted that he had made a number of mistakes in his career, citing as an example his involvement as Assistant Deputy Attorney General with the pardoning of fugitive financier Marc Rich during the final Clinton term.

Ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), took Holder to task on the use of the word 'mistake'.

"It's hard to brush it off, it seems to me, as a mistake," said Spector.

"If this was some underling," Spector continued, "or some guy who wasn't too bright or wasn't too experienced I'd brush it off as a mistake, but given your experience, and your background, and your competency, and the surrounding circumstances of President Clinton looking for a cover, how do you explain it?"

Holder responded that the House report that firmly linked him to the pardoning had inaccuracies, including an entry that Holder contends falsely linked him to Rich's lawyer.

The hearing had a moment of levity when Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) brought up Holder's basketball skills, inquiring how a match up between the President Elect and Holder would play out.

"In the event, Mr. Holder, that he invites you to the gym for a little one on one, will you promise us and the American people that you will do everything in your power to defeat him as badly as you can?" Kohl asked.

The nominee responded, "He's 10 years younger than me, he plays a lot more frequently than I do. Having said that, I have a New York city game...if you give me a little time and little space to get back in shape, I think I could hang with him, but I don't think I would ever be in a position to beat him, nor do I think that would be a wise thing to do."