Recent articles by The Washington Times and CNN.com reported that Attorney General-designate Eric Holder has come under criticism from Senate Republicans and that Holder's confirmation hearings will be “bruising” and “grueling,” respectively, without noting that at least one senior Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), has reportedly said he will support Holder's confirmation. By contrast, a January 6 New York Times article reported that "[s]ome Republicans, including Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, have voiced support for Mr. Holder," while a January 8 Associated Press article reported: “Republicans haven't said they'll ultimately vote against the nominee, and conservative Republican Orrin Hatch recently commented, 'I like Eric Holder.' ”

In a January 8 article, The Washington Times reported:

The battle lines have been drawn for what is shaping up to be a bruising confirmation battle for Attorney General nominee Eric H. Holder Jr., though even his foes acknowledge he probably will be confirmed to lead the Obama administration's Justice Department. Partisan posturing continued Wednesday with some Republicans attacking Mr. Holder's prior work in the Justice Department and questioning whether he will show the independence necessary to succeed in its top post. Democrats and civil rights leaders defended Mr. Holder as eminently qualified and accused critics of playing politics.

Later, after quoting Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) saying Holder's confirmation process won't be “smooth sailing,” the Times further reported that “Republicans are gearing up to vigorously question Mr. Holder during the hearing, particularly about his time as the deputy attorney general, the Justice Department's No. 2 post, under President Clinton.”

Similarly, a January 7 CNN.com article reported that “attorney general designate Eric Holder could face a grueling round of questions next week from Senate Republicans” and that “Holder has drawn heavy criticism from Republicans.” The article also reported that “Republicans are targeting” Holder.

Neither article mentioned Hatch. In his November 21, 2008, Washington Post column, “In the Loop,” Al Kamen wrote that Hatch had told reporters of Holder, “I respect the man, and I intend to support him.”

From the January 8 Washington Times article:

The battle lines have been drawn for what is shaping up to be a bruising confirmation battle for Attorney General nominee Eric H. Holder Jr., though even his foes acknowledge he probably will be confirmed to lead the Obama administration's Justice Department.

Partisan posturing continued Wednesday with some Republicans attacking Mr. Holder's prior work in the Justice Department and questioning whether he will show the independence necessary to succeed in its top post. Democrats and civil rights leaders defended Mr. Holder as eminently qualified and accused critics of playing politics.

Confirmation hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee are scheduled to start Jan. 15.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican and a member of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters Wednesday Mr. Holder's quest for confirmation will not be “smooth sailing.”

“He still may end up being attorney general. And I wouldn't say that I wouldn't vote for him because you can't say he's not qualified for it; he is qualified,” Mr. Grassley said. “But there's a lot of people that are qualified. They have other reasons that maybe they shouldn't be in that position.”

Republicans are gearing up to vigorously question Mr. Holder during the hearing, particularly about his time as the deputy attorney general, the Justice Department's No. 2 post, under President Clinton.

From the January 7 CNN.com article:

While the Senate is expected to easily confirm the majority of the president-elect's Cabinet appointments, it increasingly appears that attorney general designate Eric Holder could face a grueling round of questions next week from Senate Republicans who are already emboldened by charges of “pay-to-play” politics against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and a federal investigation into Richardson, who Obama picked as his commerce secretary.

“Republicans are seeing enough different stories in the taints of possible corruption around Democratic politicians lately,” said Alexander Keyssar, a professor of history and social policy at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. “Where they can score some political points around this corruption issue, they will try to do it.”

Holder has drawn heavy criticism from Republicans over his involvement in former President Bill Clinton's last-minute pardon of Mark Rich, a major Democratic donor and billionaire financier charged with federal tax evasion.

[...]

Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, said it's not surprising Republicans are targeting a particular appointment.

“There always seems to be one appointee where the Senate opposition directs its firepower,” Hess said. “This year the designated fall guy seems to be Eric Holder. He's going to be made to grovel.”

Holder played a significant role in the heavily criticized Rich pardon, having communicated with Rich's lawyers frequently before it was issued, according to the New York Times.

Critics have charged that the Justice Department should have blocked the pardon, and Holder later said he wished he had handled the matter differently.

Supporters of Holder say his role in the pardon was limited, but Senate Republicans, seemingly eager for at least one high-profile fight with the incoming president, are set to put the Rich pardon front-and-center when his Judiciary Committee hearing kicks off next week.