Does Eric Holder agree with former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s assessment of President Barack Obama?
Short Answer: Not at all.
Holder, the outgoing Attorney General, defended Obama from Panetta’s “unfortunate” comments, telling CNN’s Evan Perez he doesn’t think it’s right for a former cabinet member to criticize a president until he’s out of office.
“I think [what] Leon said in the book is unfortunate. But frankly, I don’t think it’s something that a former Cabinet member should do while the president he served is still in office,” Holder said. “That’s not something that I would even consider doing.” (RELATED: Panetta – Obama Damaged U.S. Credibility With Syria Red Line)
Panetta was extremely critical of Obama while doing the rounds supporting his book “Worthy Fights,” saying the president should have heeded advice from himself, Hillary Clinton and his national security team on leaving a sustained presence in Iraq, and that his Syria “red line” comment damaged America’s credibility abroad. (RELATED – Panetta: Obama Should Have Maintained Military Presence In Iraq)
“The president is a deliberate person in an appropriate way. But he’s also resolute once he makes up his mind,” Holder told Perez. “Let’s remember, this is the president who took a chance in going after Osama bin Laden in the way that he did. He has been decisive in a whole variety of areas to keep the American people safe in doing it in a way that’s consistent with our values.”
Holder will be staying on as the nation’s top cop until a new one is approved by the U.S. Senate. Obama will announce a nominee for the post after the midterm elections.
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