U.S. President Barack Obama departs after delivering a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during his vacation August 20, 2014. Obama on Wednesday condemned the Islamic State militants who beheaded an American journalist as "a cance
U.S. President Barack Obama departs after delivering a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during his vacation August 20, 2014. Obama on Wednesday condemned the Islamic State militants who beheaded an American journalist as "a cancer" and said "their ideology is bankrupt." "The whole world is appalled by the brutal murder of James Foley," Obama said, speaking a day after the militants released a video of Foley being beheaded. Obama said he called Foley's family to express his condolences. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

President Obama's keenly awaited choice for the office of Attorney General will be delayed until the Nov. 4 elections to the Senate are concluded. This is because, a majority of Senate Democrats have requested Obama to hold the announcement to spare the controversy of having to back a particular nominee. According to a White House official, the president has not taken a decision on the replacement for Attorney General Eric Holder. It was on Sept. 25 that Holder announced his plan to step down. But he will remain in office until a successor is confirmed, reported Yahoo News.

Eric Holder Legacy

Holder's term had been very tumultuous and was marked by civil rights assertiveness and even fights with the Congress. But Holder carries the esteem of being one of the longest-serving U.S. Attorney Generals, reported Guardian. Obama's plan is to get the new incumbent confirmed during the upcoming "lame duck" session of the Congress. That session will be in the interim period after the elections and before the new Congress takes over in January.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest also said it may take a bit of time to finalise the right person. He called on the Senate to "act quickly and in bipartisan fashion to confirm" the nomination, whenever it is made. Obama knows it will be challenging to ratify the nomination, if he waits until the new Senate is formed in January. That time the Republicans are expected to dominate the house with the gains from the midterm.

Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican, who will be on the Judiciary Committee holding the hearings on the new nominee, also said the timing on AG selection shows that the president and Democrat Senate leaders are trying to play politics with important policy decisions.

Bush Era Precedent

White House is trying to bank on a precedent. In 2006, hardly a day after the midterm, President George W. Bush nominated Robert Gates as secretary of defence and got the nomination confirmed in less than a month with bipartisan support.

For the AG's post, Obama is reportedly looking at those who are already familiar to his administration. Some of the names under consideration include Solicitor General Don Verrilli, Kathy Ruemmler and Tom Perez.