By Democrat & Chronicle
Editorial Board
After the shellacking that President Obama took in last week’s midterm elections, the last thing he needs is another fight. That’s why he was wise to nominate Loretta Lynch as the nation’s next attorney general.
The Senate, which switches to Republican control starting in January, should have little difficulty confirming Lynch, who has a track record of being a top-notch federal prosecutor.
And because Lynch has been given Senate clearance twice in recent decades to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Brooklyn-based Eastern District, and was found to be apolitical for the most part, she should be confirmed before year’s end.
Otherwise, there could be a protracted confirmation process next year that, no doubt, could have much more to do with GOP disdain for retiring Attorney General Eric Holder than Lynch.
Obama, cognizant of how disliked Holder is among Republicans, chose in Lynch someone who, unlike his current attorney general, is not close to him. Rather, the Harvard Law School graduate’s record of accomplishment speaks volumes for her.
The highest profile case Lynch guided was the successful prosecution of New York police officers accused of beating and sodomizing a Haitian immigrant in the late 1990s. But her legal portfolio is wide-ranging, including major cases involving public corruption, terrorism, civil rights, financial fraud and cybercrime.
Some Republicans have expressed concerns about Lynch’s preparedness to leap from being a U.S. attorney to taking over as U.S. attorney general. Yes, it is a considerable jump in scope. But having served as a U.S. attorney both during the Clinton years and the past four under Obama has given Lynch solid executive experience that equips her for the top job.
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I agree. From the ultra-liberal Obama administration that we are all suffering through, Ms. Lynch is probably the best we could hope for. The Republicans should hold their noses and vote to support her nomination. In a couple of years, the Republicans can replace her with someone who is more mainstream. As a Republican, I see no point in dragging Ms. Lynch through a contentious battle. There’s other more important battle to wage with Obama. We should give him this one and move on.