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Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder gave what reads like an exit interview to MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid for New York magazine. Always blunt, Holder doesn't disappoint in this interview, giving America an "F" on matters of race -- as in "failed."

Reid flashed back to 15 years ago when Holder, then deputy attorney general, said that "there was a sense of mistrust between black communities and police that needed to be bridged" after another high-profile police brutality case.

Sound familiar? Sure does.

Reid: What does it say that we essentially are in the same place now, so many years later?

Holder: It means that we, as a nation, have failed. It's as simple as that. We have failed. We have understood that these issues have existed long before even that 2001 memorandum by that then-young deputy attorney general. These are issues that we've been dealing with for generations.

And it's why we have to seize this opportunity that we now have. We have a moment in time that we can, perhaps, come up with some meaningful change. It's what I'm committed to doing, even in the limited time I have left as attorney general. And I'll certainly continue to do it after I leave office.

It's what this administration is committed to. But I also feel that the nation is really ready for this kind of change. And I would hope that, 10 years from now, 12 years from now, we will not look back on this as a lost opportunity.

I think, in particular, what happened in New York with the whole Garner matter which I can't really get into, because it's something that we are still in the process of investigating has galvanized the nation. And I think that we have to take advantage of this spirit, this feeling that exists now in our country, and make it better.

Holder, of course, has only a few weeks left on the job, with Loretta Lynch his likely replacement. He has been traveling across the country takingmeetings on race relations and the criminal justice system. Holder said his proudest achievement is the Smart on Crime initiative--a move to ease mandatory sentencing and mass incarceration.

In her confirmation hearings, Lynch will certainly be grilled on her record, but also on Holder's record and rhetoric and whether she would be a similar attorney general. Civil rights leaders and activists have applauded Holder for his bold rhetoric,casting him as "Obama's Luther." On that score Lynch, should she be confirmed, would step into the job with big expectations, with fired-up activists looking to her to continue on Holder's path.

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Eric Holder sets high bar on racial rhetoric for next attorney general

Attorney General Eric Holder got himself virtually muzzled early in President Obamas first term, when he called the U.S. a nation of cowards for our inability to deal frankly with issues of race. On his way out the door, hes not worried about his critics. He told MSNBCs Joy Reid that ongoing troubles in limiting police violence mean we, as a nation, have failed. Its as simple as that. We have failed.

Its a grim verdict, but its hard to quarrel. Holder was a deputy U.S. attorney back in 2001, when the Justice Department announced it would not prosecute the New York police officers who famously fired 41 shots at unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo, hitting him 19 times. Though Justice concluded it couldnt make a civil rights case against the officers, Holder warned at the time: We must learn from this deeply troubling incident. Mr. Diallo, an unarmed individual who committed no crime and no act of aggression, unnecessarily lost his life.

Now, 13 years later, similar deeply troubling incidents still occur regularly, and theyve touched off a new movement for reform. While Holder speaks in measured ways, throughout the interview, about the mutual distrust between police and communities of color, and the work the Justice Department is doing to bridge those gaps, he places himself within the national reform movement. For a while he uses they when talking about protesters, but then he shifts significantly to we.

Thats all were asking for just make the nation better, he tells Reid. And the interview wraps.

On the same day the president opened up to People and said Theres no black male my age, whos a professional who hasnt been mistaken for a parking valet, Holders exit interview shows a new comfort with candor about race in Obamas second term. It may make heads on the right explode, but so be it. Michelle Malkin is already howling about first lady Michelle Obamas story of being mistaken for a store clerk by a Target shopper on her incognito trip there in 2011.

In the interview with Reid which is running in New York magazine and airing on The Reid Report Holder talks passionately about voting rights setbacks in recent years, calling out the Republican Party for its support of voter suppression measures, while praising GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner for his work to restore the Voting Rights Act.

This is a gut check for the Republican Party. Where do you stand? Are you gonna be true to the values and the history of a great party? Or are you gonna do something that, in the short term, is politically expedient but that, ultimately, you will find historically shameful?

He says he trusts his chosen successor, deputy U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, to continue his pursuit of voting rights violations though at least one Republican, Sen. David Vitter, has vowed to block Lynch because of the presidents moves on immigration.

While Holder uses his elbows when it comes to issues, hes diplomatic on the topic of whether race has been a factor in his tough relationship with the House GOP.

Hard to say. I mean, the attorney general seems to be, lately, the person, whether you are white, black, Republican, Democrat, who catches a lot of grief. So theres that thats just a part of the position.

Originally posted here:
Eric Holders parting shot: Police abuse scandals mean the nation has failed

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke out on the current wave of police protests in a new interview this week with New York Magazine, conducted by MSNBC host Joy Reid. And right off the bat, Holder said he doesnt believe young minorities have anything to fear from the police.

That being said, there is a lot of distrust and people demonizing each other, Holder said. And he doesnt feel that at this point were at a stage yet where I can honestly say that if youre a person of color, you should not be concerned about any interaction that you have with the police.

When asked about the progress Americas made on race and dealing with that mistrust, Holder simply said, We, as a nation, have failed.

He deferred a bit on the statistics of police confrontations with minorities and touted DOJ work during his tenure as taking on some very important race issues, in spite of what liberal critics might say. Meanwhile, on the other side, Holder didnt bite when asked if conservative criticism of him and Obama is because of race.

You can read the full interview here.

[image via screengrab]

Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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Eric Holder: We, as a Nation, Have Failed to Deal with Race, Police Distrust

SAGINAW, MI Nearly 100 people packed a room on the fourth floor of the Saginaw County Governmental Center Wednesday, Dec. 17, to see Vanessa Guerra sworn in as the area's next state representative.

Guerra, a Democrat,was elected by voters of Michigan's 95th Districton Nov. 4, defeating Republican Jordan Haskins and taking nearly 76 percent of the vote.

The 25-year-old state representative-elect was sworn in by Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank, who himself served the area in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1997-2002.

Frank said he remembers hearing about Guerra when she first announced her bid for office. He said it took him back in time, to the point where he made a decision to run for office as a man in his 20s.

"People said, 'You're too young to run,'" Frank said. "But it is that youth that gives us the energy for our state to move forward. And I can think of no one better to advance the cause of our community than Representative-elect Guerra."

After reciting the oath of office, Guerra took a moment Wednesday to say a few words to those gathered to witness the event.

"I see a lot of my friends and my family members and people from this community who I've met in the last few months," she said. "Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your support, on my good days and especially my bad days. It's that support that keeps me going."

Guerra also thanked Judge Frank, and praised his legacy of service both in the state House and on the bench.

"I hope that one day I will be just as good an example of a true public servant as Judge Frank," she said.

At the end of the year, Guerra will take over for State Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes. The Saginaw Democrat lost her bid for the Michigan Senatein November to Republican Ken Horn.

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Democrat Vanessa Guerra sworn in as Saginaw's next state representative

Liberal DemocratChief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has written to theConservative and Labour LGA heads - Cllr Gary Porter and Cllr Jim McMahon on the issue of council tax.

Dear Gary/Jim,

As you may be aware, there have been some discussions in the past few weeks regarding the level at which the Council Tax referendum threshold should be set.

While some Conservative colleagues in the Coalition Government favour leaving the cap at the level that it is, other Conservative colleagues have argued in favour of lowering the threshold to 1%. In practice, this would mean that even the smallest rise in Council Tax would result in Local Authorities having to hold a referendum.

As I am sure you know, only one Liberal Democrat authority raised Council Tax at all last year and this level of discipline and protection for Council Tax payers has been a consistent trait of Liberal Democrat councils throughout this Parliament. Many more Labour and Conservative controlled councils chose to increase Council Tax last year.

The Liberal Democrats have long believed in devolving power to the most local level, on the principle that the best decisions tend to be made by those closest to the people those decisions effect. It is for this reason, that the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government will not support proposals to lower the referendum threshold.

Because of the state of the public finances, we are having to ask a lot of Local Authorities, who, by and large, are rising to the challenge of cutting expenditure while protecting important public services. Lowering the threshold will put unnecessary further pressure on local authorities and the much needed services they provide.

Lowering the threshold is a change of policy that puts an unnecessary further constraint on local authorities. While I would strongly argue for local authorities to protect taxpayers from rises in Council Tax, nevertheless this is a choice that should rightly be made by Local Authorities and not be imposed centrally.

While Conservative and Labour Councils have been quick to increase Council Tax, Lib Dems have not. In the end, these councils should be accountable to their electorates. It is not for central government to impose such constraints.

Yours Sincerely,

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Danny Alexander's letter to LGA heads