Eric Holder

The President obviously has powers under the Constitution that cannot be infringed by the legislative branch.

The President has his power at its maximum, at its zenith, when he acts consistent with congressional direction.

I think across the board, and especially when it comes to law enforcement functions interpreted pretty broadly, you want to have employees of our Government who are conducting and doing law enforcement activities.

I think we have to work to improve the pardon process within the Department of Justice.

I think that given all that I have described that what the President did was reasonable.

I will use every available tactic to defeat our adversaries.

I look forward to that report, and I will do all that I can to ensure that as much of that is made public as is possible.

It seems to me it is difficult to imagine a set of circumstances... that the President would be acting in an appropriate way given the Jackson construct.

We don't want to criminalize policy differences that might exist between the outgoing administration and the administration that is about to take over.

President-elect Obama was against the immunity that was granted to those ISPs, but nevertheless voted for the statute that contained that immunity.

I think starting with what we have in the Army Field Manual, I think that is a good place for us to start.

One of the things that has always worried me is that a disproportionate share of what is a national problem is borne by the States along our Southern border.

I will take my obligation seriously under those regulations and look at the evidence that the States provide.

We will make sure that the interrogation techniques that are sanctioned by the Justice Department are consistent with our treaty obligations.

Guantanamo will be closed. The President-elect during the campaign made that promise.

I will be an independent Attorney General. I will be the people's lawyer.

I never told him go straight to the White House with that pardon application.

I did not really acquaint myself with his record. I knew that the matter involved--it was a tax fraud case.

It was something that I think is not typical of the way in which I have conducted myself as a careful thoughtful lawyer.

Yes, I will make that pledge. It is important that these OLC opinions, which are so important, as you describe, that they truly reflect what the law is, that they reflect our values.

It is my belief that a carefully crafted law to shield the press in the way that you have described is appropriate.

No, they would not. It would violate the international obligations that I think all civilized nations have agreed to, the Geneva Conventions.

I recommended independent counsel investigations not just of members of the Cabinet, but of the very President who appointed me.

I feel privileged just to stand in his shadow and hope that as Attorney General I can honor his legacy.

The place where we ought to be, and that would be what I would be working towards.