Eric “Fredo” Holder Is Smart And Wants Respect

Towards the end of his often contentious testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee Eric Holder went where no grown man should…whining about a lack of respect.

"This isn't always a pleasant experience," he says, referring to Hill testimony. "I don't feel like I've always been treated with respect. It's not a personal thing... but I'm the attorney general...

A couple of things about this.

Hey Eric, which part of “co-equal branch” don’t you get? Members of Congress don’t owe you any respect, personally or for your office. You’re a political appointee heading an executive department that was created by Congress and they can do away with it if they collectively want to.

Unlike the people you are complaining about you were not elected by the highest authority in this country, We The People. In fact, your position isn't even a constitutionally mandated one.

Why exactly should anyone in the House treat you with respect? Are you forgetting that little matter of being held in “Contempt of Congress”? They hold you personally in contempt Eric. A lack of respect is implied.

And let us not forget that lack of respect is a two way street Holder knows all about. From February of last year.

I have to tell you that for me to really be affected by what happened, I’d have to have respect for the people who voted in that way,” Holder told ABC News when asked about the historic contempt vote. “And I didn’t, so it didn’t have that huge an impact on me.

And while we’re on lack of respect, let’s look at what Holder said to Congressman Darrell Issa shortly before whinging about respect.

Holder said Issa’s questioning at the hearing was “too consistent with the way in which you conduct yourself as a member of the Congress. It’s unacceptable, and it’s shameful.”

It is not up to Eric Holder, in his capacity as Attorney General, to comment on how a member of Congress performs their duty. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Issa was there to perform his duty to represent the citizens he represents and provide a check on Executive authority. How he goes about doing that is not for a member of the executive branch to comment upon.

It’s not just Eric Holder who has delusions of grandeur about how he must be treated. Remember Mrs. Boxer’s instruction to a General to call her Senator instead of the perfectly respectful “ma’am”?

We need to get beyond this imperial government we've created and back to a small “r” republican form where people who temporarily hold office don’t consider themselves a distinct and separate class above the real power in this country…the citizens.

As always in cases of honor and respect one should look to George Washington for direction. This is how he began his first inaugural address to Congress…

”Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and of the House of Representatives:“

Citizens first, people who simply were members of Congress second. (The value of citizenship is one reason I’m so opposed to giving it to people whose first act in this country was to break our laws but that’s another story)

You know who gets this? Senator Ron Johnson. You might recall I had the chance to talk to him a few weeks ago about his “Victims of Government Project” (check it out if you haven’t). His staffer who set it up took my number and said I get a call at the agreed upon time (or close enough for government work). When I saw the DC area code I figured it was the staffer saying, “hold on for the Senator”. What I got was, “Hi, this is Ron Johnson…..”. But by not demanding or assuming the status so many public “servants” seem to feel entitled to, he immediately proved worthy of just that kind of respect.

It’s an example more office holders, including Eric Holder should learn from.

Below the fold...video of Holder demanding respect.

posted by DrewM. at 09:43 AM

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