Attorney General Eric Holder announced Thursday that he is resigning after leading the Justice Department for nearly six years. Holder, the first African American to hold the job of attorney general, has agreed to remain in his post until the confirmation of his successor. President Obama called his departure a "bittersweet moment" and praised his track record, especially on civil rights. Republicans were less sentimental. "Holder has placed ideological commitments over a commitment to the rule of law," said U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell. Obama did not name a replacement.
