LOS ANGELES — Girding for four years of potential battles with President-elect Donald J. Trump, Democratic leaders of the California Legislature announced Wednesday that they had hired Eric H. Holder Jr., who was attorney general under President Obama, to represent them in any legal fights against the new Republican White House.
The decision by the Legislature to retain Mr. Holder, who is now a prominent Washington lawyer, is the latest sign of the ideological battle that may play out over the next four years between this predominantly Democratic state and Washington. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for president, defeated Mr. Trump by more than four million votes here.
“Having the former attorney general of the United States brings us a lot of firepower in order to prepare to safeguard the values of the people of California,” Kevin de León, the Democratic leader of the Senate, said in an interview. “This means we are very, very serious.”
Mr. de León said he expected California to challenge Washington — and defend itself from policies instituted in Washington — on issues including the environment, immigration and criminal justice. He said California Democrats decided to turn to Mr. Holder as they watched Mr. Trump assemble his cabinet and begin to set the tone for his presidency.
“It was very clear that it wasn’t just campaign rhetoric,” Mr. de León said of Mr. Trump’s proposals over the past year. “He was surrounding himself with people who are a very clear and present danger to the economic prosperity of California.”
Full story at The New York Times.
Why fight the Trump administration. Just secede and show us what a liberal paradise looks like.
That’s classic. I suspect the real danger is that Trump, whatever his flaws, might return economic prosperity to California. No wonder the Democrats are terrified – the results of their policies might become obvious to too many Californians.
California has an excellent economy, thanks Greg. All we need is for Trump to screw it up.
YFC, I refer you to several insightful analyses, first the one by Victor Davis Hanson (1/3/17) referenced below, and also https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/01/06/california_as_alt-america_132724.html. As a second-generation California native, I remember our robust economic base that included aerospace, oil & gas, manufacturing, agriculture and mining. All those industries are diminished, over-regulated or just plain gone. An economy increasingly reliant on tourism and the entertainment industry is much less stable for those not directly tied to it, thus the disconnects described in the referenced articles. High tech and biotech are certainly important, but if you don’t have a PhD, the best you can hope for in those…
The California Commucratic Party is controlled by irrational and insane leaders who want California not to be a republic or democracy but communist state as well as the rest of the nation if they can influence it. This is why they take paranoid measures like this and others to come no doubt, to preserve their positions and defend the communist ideals they have invoked in California. Is it any wonder that so many prominent rational, sane, former citizens have left California? They see the self-destruction at hand. Pitty they are not smart enough to learn of the real-life lessons of North Korea and the Soviet Union. These Commucratic leaders ought to be sent to live in North Korea a few years to see if communism is what they really want.
California is currently speeding on an even more “fast and furious” bullet train to hell. May God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, continue, to grace and bless, California Catholic Daily!
Romans 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
It might come as a surprise to some of you that huge numbers of Americans hold California in utter contempt and hope you all secede or fall into the ocean. That your state is actually hiring a crooked, sleezy lawyer to defend itself from having to obey Federal laws shows just how far you’ve strayed from American values and shared love of country and traditions. It’s terribly sad to see what’s taking place there in what was once the place many wanted to move to. Now many dread having Californians even move into their communities, as they have more money and influence that carries the taint of California disease. You seem so insulated here from what’s happening around the country. But it is a California website so, what do I expect, I…
…expect, I suppose. If I were you I’d move while I could. I pray God blesses you faithful Catholics who must be enduring much.
Dear “PrunellaNutkin”: Shouldn’t true and valid practicing Catholics launch an express media and spiritual prayer blitz of California? Commit to so many rosaries and prayers to that State’s conversion. It has become a sad place and we need to say it out loud, and then move to organize resistance to it.
Best to Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.
Oh, Tiggy and I are old friends! I’ll tell her you sent yr best. St Christopher, as you know, it’s hard to get people to pray for our suffering Catholic family in China or Iraq, let alone for you in supposedly cushy California. Anyway,I was just popping in fr a quick visit.Hugs all round!
You’re correct. My family has been living in CA since before it became a part of the USA. There’s nothing about the politics of this state that Native Californians take any kind of pride in. We have been hijacked by outsiders. Jerry Brown is a presence that has become a scourge for this state. He and his fellow communists in the legislature rely on illegals to remain in office. I’m counting on, praying daily, that President Trump starts in California and moves Left to right, with ICE to clean house. I’m counting on God to make it happen. We’re in a communist gulag!
My sincere sympathy and prayers fr you! It will be the whole world if we can’t stop the liberal onslaught. Pope Leo xiii understood it well! https://www.google.com/amp/s/veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/pope-leo-xiii-on-the-faults-of-liberalism/amp/?client=safari
I find it interesting that people in California are held in such contempt. By itself, California is the sixth or seventh largest economy in the world. We send much more money in taxes to Washington, per person, than we receive back. I suppose it has some weird ideas: people should have good, basic, health care, they should live in an environment that is not so polluted that you can’t breath, that treats people with dignity, that has the best university system in the world, etc. Oh, we know it has a few quirks, but what the heck. As a matter of policy, we don’t hate each other based on religion, race or ethnic background. And then, of course, most of us come from somewhere else. We pay a lot of taxes to live here. Its not easy and…
Horse manure, CA is a one party dictatorship run by a Jesuit trained Marxist, and the leftistlarure is led by the Mexican Mafia. CA residents such as myself view ourselves as captives. Normally, captives don’t get to choose their jailers. Fwiw CA is financially broke, the pub sac employee retirement fund is nearly a trillion bucks in the red. And thts just 1 example.
You’ve probably read this, but I’m including it for bob one https://www.nationalreview.com/article/443466/california-madness-hypocritical-coastal-elites-soak-middle-class
Coming from a NYT pull-quote, this snippet seems intended to dissemble. Holder should already be in jail for his complicity in breaking immigration and federal firearms regulations. His law firm defends GITMO terrorists and the ONLY reason why the CA Mexican Mafia dominated legislature is hiring him is to fight enforcement of immigration laws. Since trad Catholics have given up on Francis’ church, the American bishops are relying on a steady inflow of illegals to fill the pews…a disgusting sellout of a once majestic faith.
It’s still a majestic faith and the teachings perfect. It’s just people who sully the Bride and we know what happens to them and in the end. For some it will happen sooner than they expect! God will not be mocked.
Eric Holder hasn’t struck me as a brilliant legal mind. Retaining his legal services sounds like bluster.
But, “Steve Seitz,” Mr. Holder will make a big payday. He is Mr. Outside to Mr. Obama’s Mr. Inside regarding riding the Affirmative Action horse to fame and fortune.
Neither can do much, and are cocooned by their respective law firms and political party so that they are only trotted out for speaking engagements and the like. To be sure, Holder will do photo-ops, but will not get within 10 feet of any actual legal thinking or writing. Besides, it is not likely that they can do much. Holder is an expensive potted plant.
Those of us conservative Californians in the minority should do our best in remaining here for sanities sake and restoration after the CA commucratic goverenment caves in under its own financial crisis, highest of taxes, and loss of all morality and Christian values. Companies have left in groves. Marijuanna will create many political and criminal problems. After the collapse rational citizens i.e., conservatives will be needed to rebuild CA.
Eric Holder – the guy who deserves to lose his law license for lying to Congress under OATH.
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The same guy who refused to prosecute those guilty of breaking federal law such as those responsible for “Fast and Furious”, or Lois Lerner of the IRS, or Hillary Clinton for having classified documents on her at home unsecured server, etc.
Holder aided and abetted Sanctuary Cities – in their refusing to turn over known CRIMINAL ILLEGAL Aliens.
Undocumented immigrants who commit other crimes (robbery, etc) are prosecuted by sanctuary cities.
I’m wondering about this situation, how should we handle it? A boy or girl, about 8 years old, born in the U.S, of parents who came illegally. Should this child be sent to a country s/he has never seen?.
Yes, They ought to go home to their country of record with their parents! If there parents love and care for them, it won’t matter to the children. It is the parents responsibility to obey the laws of our country and set a good example. If they can’t honor our laws, they have no business living here. If they wish to stay they need to be patient and willing to go through due process just like all the immigrants generations before them like mine and yours. There is a reason for the process, to vet the immigrants, accept those with good values and responsibility, not moochers and irresponsible loafers. Immigrants who want to become citizens are willing to learn our national language “English” and assimilate into our American…
Your correct MAC, Holder should have investigated and arrested the Clintons for treason for violation of the National Security Act. Not only the Clintons but also the subversive Obama as he knew of Clintons uncleared for classified information internet server and sent messages under a code name to the criminal Secretary of State Clinton. Goes to show how crooked our CA legislature is and could careless for the security of our country.
Bob One,
You raise a couple of interesting facts. Yes we Californians pay a lot of taxes to the federal government and our own state government. Its to the point that many have left as they can’t afford living in California any longer, especially with the high unemployment. We used to have a lot of industry here, especially the aerospace industry. Pharmaceutical industry appears to be a wave of the future — the legal drug makers and pushers. You’re also right about our agriculture products, but keep in mind, the voters in CA in the rural farmland areas of CA voted conservatism/Republican. Only the highly populated heavy cities are “blue”.