Holder Voted Vince Gray for DC Mayor
Politico reports:
Back in 2007, presidential candidate Barack Obama was effusive in his praise for newly-elected D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.
"Washington is fortunate that it gets to count on Adrian Fenty," Obama said in a statement issued welcoming Fenty's endorsement in the presidential race. "Last fall, Mayor Fenty brought a new generation of leadership to Washington by knocking on every door and practicing the kind of grassroots, bottom-up politics that can bring about real change. That's what we're trying to do in this campaign."
Apparently, the change Fenty brought wasn't something Attorney General Eric Holder could believe in, since he disclosed on Thursday that he voted, in essence, to oust the mayor by casting a ballot for challenger Vincent Gray. Holder wasn't alone in that sentiment. Fenty lost the Democratic primary, garnering only 44% while D.C. Council Chair Gray won 54%. (The Democratic primary essentially dictates the outcome of the election due to the party's predominance in the capital.)
Holder's surprising disclosure of his vote raises a slew of political and ethical questions.
Was Holder bucking his ultimate boss, Obama, who seemed to have some affinity for Fenty? (Obama dined with Fenty at Ben's Chili Bowl last year, but the president rebuffed Fenty's pleas for help in the final days before the election.) Do Holder and Fenty have some unpleasant history? Do Gray and Holder have some positive history? And is it ethical or wise for a sitting attorney general to announce his vote in an election?
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