Sen. Joe Manchin Suggests Eric Holder Should Consider Resigning

While he did not say that Eric Holder needs to resign, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) suggested that the embattled Attorney General should consider handing in his resignation over controversies, including the Justice Department’s investigations into leaks.

Holder has been under fire for over a month, since it was revealed that the Department of Justice secretly obtained the phone records of Associated Press editors and reporters.

AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt sent a letter of protest to Holder about the situation, calling it a “massive and unprecedented intrusion.”

Manchin spoke about the situation on Bloomberg TV’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” saying:

“Le me just say that … any political official — no matter whether it be the attorney general or anybody in public office — whenever you feel that you have lost your effectiveness … to the detriment of the job that you do, even though you’re a good, honest, sincere, hardworking person, you have to evaluate that and make a decision.”

Manchin added, “And I think we’re at the time now where decisions have to be made.”

While he did not criticize Eric Holder and the actions of the Justice Department, Joe Manchin suggested, “… it might be the most well-intended person with the best of intentions, but if they’re not being effective and they’re not being received, how effective is it and how good is it for the country?”

But despite the suggestion from Manchin and calls from several other lawmakers, Holder has indicated he has no intention of stepping down, despite the controversies surrounding him and his department. Holder recently stated:

“There’s some things that I want to do, some things I want to get done. I’ve discussed that with the president. And once I have finished that, I’ll sit down with him and we’ll determine when it’s time to make a transition to a new attorney general.”

Do you think that Eric Holder should resign as Attorney General?

[Image via HHSgov]