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Ben Nelson votes to confirm new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
Aldo:
A couple weeks ago, I wrote to Sen Nelson about the Holder issue, and he finally responded with the same exact response that he has sent to others (see below)...and so I wrote back to him to hold him accountable to his position (see below the below):
* Dear XXXXXX:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the nomination of Eric Holder to be the U.S. Attorney General. I was pleased to hear your thoughts regarding this nomination.
As you may know, the Senate confirmed Attorney General Holder's nomination on February 2, 2009, by a vote of 75 21. Prior to his confirmation, Attorney General Holder served as a Superior Court judge in Washington, D.C.; as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and as Deputy Attorney General during the Clinton Administration.
I voted for confirmation because Attorney General Holder is a qualified individual whom our nation's President chose as the most able person to advise him from this crucial post. During my time in the United States Senate, I have given our President latitude to choose the individuals for his Cabinet who he believes are best qualified for the job. This is a courtesy I extended to then President George W. Bush, and I intend to do the same now for President Barack Obama.
This should not, however, be construed as a rubber-stamp approval. During the nomination process, concerns were raised regarding Mr. Holder's position on the Second Amendment right to bear arms and his work related to the pardoning of Marc Rich in 2001. Regarding his position on gun rights, Attorney General Holder testified that he will enforce the law as it is currently written and will abide by the rulings of our nation's courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in D.C. v. Heller, which affirmed an individual's right to bear arms. Attorney General Holder apologized for his work relating to the 2001 pardon of Marc Rich, and acknowledged he made a mistake, from which he learned valuable lessons. In light of Attorney General Holder's answers, I did not believe that either of these issues compelled a vote against the President's choice for one of his own Cabinet officials.
I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind as Congress works with Attorney General Holder to ensure that our nation's legal system is free from political influence and that it fairly and swiftly administers justice. He has vowed to enforce the laws as written, and I look forward to working with him as he continues to keep this promise to the American people. And as issues related to the U.S. Department of Justice come before Congress, I will work with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis and will cast my vote, as I always do, for what is best for Nebraska and our nation as a whole.
Thank you again for contacting me. A responsive government will only remain responsive with the input of concerned citizens, and I encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely,
Ben Nelson
U.S. Senator
This was my response to him today:
* Dear Senator Nelson,
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
I respect your right to have your opinion. In the same light, I honestly believe that the good citizens of Nebraska will hold you accountable to your stated positions, especially relative to the Second Amendment.
There is a Senatorial election in Nebraska in 2010, and your positions now will weigh heavily with how the voters will respond then relative to your bid for re-election. There are many Nebraskans who have great concerns relative to the President?s and Attorney General?s past actions relative to the Second Amendment. There is more than one way to skin a cat, and although each of those elected officials may state they support the Second Amendment, there are great concerns that they will also support other means of making it very difficult (expense-wise via significantly increased taxes on ammunition or serializing ammunition as two examples) to enjoy the Second Amendment rights of Nebraska citizens and United States citizens.
Time will tell.
Again, thank you for responding to my earlier communication.
Respectfully,
XXXXXXXXX
FarmerRick:
I got the same exact reply today as well. :(
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