Nadler warns Obama to lay off Holder on 'torture' probe

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is warning President Barack Obama not to pressure Attorney General Eric Holder against appointing a special prosecutor to investigate potential crimes related to the Bush Administration's interrogation practices.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Netroots Nation conference in Pittsburgh Saturday, Nadler said the White House has no business sending subtle or not-so-subtle signals to Holder to shelve the idea of naming a special counsel.

"That is properly a decision of the Justice Department to be made on independent grounds, regardless of the political convenience or inconvenience to the administration," Nadler said. "So I have nothing to say to the president on this, except let Mr. Holder alone. As far as I know, they are," he said, adding another "as far as I know" as the liberal crowd broke out in applause.

Nadler set up those comments by invoking alleged Bush administration politicization of the Justice Department.

"One of the charges we made about the Bush Administration and you see it in the stuff that’s coming out about Rove and Miers and U.S. Attorneys, was that justice decisions, judicial-type decisions were made for political reasons at the White House and that’s improper. And it is improper. And it would be just as improper for the president to decide that there ought to be or ought not to be a special counsel, prosecutions or whatever," Nadler said.

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