Although the attorney general is a part of the president's team, you're really separate and apart. You have a special responsibility as the nation's chief law enforcement officer. There has to be a distance that you keep - between this department and the White House.
Interpretation
The attorney general must maintain independence from the president to uphold justice effectively.
This quote by Eric Holder emphasizes the distinct role of the attorney general as the chief law enforcement officer of the nation. Despite being part of the president's team, the attorney general has a unique responsibility to ensure that the laws are enforced fairly and without political influence, highlighting the importance of maintaining a professional distance from political power.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of the rule of law.
While he was in the service, in the South and in Oklahoma, he was refused service at a couple of places where he was in uniform, and was told that African Americans, blacks, Negros, were not served. And in spite of that, I've never known a man who loved this country more than my father did.
Guantanamo is a chief recruiting tool for al-Qaida. It has put a wedge between the United States and at least some of its allies.
Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards
In a lot of ways, civil rights division is the conscience of the Justice Department. You can almost measure what kind of Justice Department you have by what kind of civil rights division that you have.
One of the things I learned is that you've got to deal with the underlying social problems if you want to have an impact on crime - that it's not a coincidence that you see the greatest amount of violent crime where you see the greatest amount of social dysfunction.
Those who peacefully gather to express sympathy for the family of Michael Brown must have their rights respected at all times. And journalists must not be harassed or prevented from covering a story that needs to be told.
Power is the ability to achieve purpose.
You can't depend on the man who made the mess to clean it up.
I think we would find, if you study the conduct of guerilla-type wars, that the Obama Administration has hit more targets on a broader scale than the Nixon Administration ever did.
To not apologize for the behavior of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologize...he's that type of person.
A leader sees greatness in other people. He nor she can be much of a leader if all she sees is herself.
Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see and listen to what they don't want to hear.
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