PREPARE SPACE UNDER THE REAR LEFT AXLE – AT 8:08 A.M. ET:  There is buzz, and I suspect it will grow, that Obama will eventually have to send a basket of fruit and a dismissal notice to his attorney general, Eric Holder.

Holder's record, for only one year, is the most controversial of that of any attorney general since Nixon's manservant, John Mitchell.  And Holder is finding few strong supporters, even in his own party.  Jennifer Rubin, at Contentions, argues that it's time for him to take the honored place under the bus, possibly next to Rev. Jeremiah Wright:

...the administration’s official flack did not exactly give a ringing endorsement of either the KSM trial or of Holder himself. Appearing on CNN, Robert Gibbs would only say:

“He will be brought to justice, and he will likely be executed for the heinous crimes he has committed. … That you can be sure of.”

But he dodged repeated questions by CNN host John King about whether the administration might shift the venue back from federal court in New York to a military court, finally saying that “The attorney general believes the best place to try him is in an American courtroom,” but not committing to that option…

“We are talking with the authorities in New York,” Gibbs said. “We understand their logistical concerns. We have been discussing that with them.”

Nothing about the president having "full confidence" in the attorney general, or backing his decisions. 

So this is all the attorney general’s idea, you see. Not exactly the “buck stops here” sort of decision-making we were assured we’d get from Obama. But aside from the lack of presidential accountability and candor (who believes Holder made this monumentally dumb decision with no input from the White House?), it does leave open the potential for a serious revision in personnel and policy.

And...

His attorney general, however, has had quite a run and is fast becoming a liability for the administration. What better way to pivot and restore some bipartisan credibility than to throw Holder under the proverbial bus?

We’ve learned that it takes a lot to get fired by Obama. But if anyone has earned that fate, it is Holder. His departure would earn praise from conservatives at a time when Obama is struggling to demonstrate some bipartisanship. It would suggest that there is hope yet for this administration to steer back toward the Center of the political spectrum and away from the netroot agenda that has proven utterly unworkable and politically toxic.

COMMENT:  Look for the buzz to increase in this election year.  Some Democrats are not happy to go down with the ship.  Last week, Dems were especially harsh in their comments about Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, another liability as a result of her handling of the Christmas-day bomber case, who didn't show up for a Congressional hearing.   

Dianne Feinstein, considered a senior, influential voice in the Democratic Party, denounced Holder's decision to try top terrorists in New York City.  Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, facing a tough reelection battle, joined the chorus.

One way out for Obama:  There are stories circulating that Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, of the U.S. Supreme Court, may step down at the end of this term.  Holder could get a court nomination, vacating the top job at the Justice Department.  His nomination would be controversial, and probably opposed by almost all Republicans, but it would probably slip through.

February 1,  2010