Race creeps into debate over stalled nomination for Loretta Lynch

“A woman who everybody agrees is qualified, who has gone after terrorists, who has worked with police officers to get gangs off the streets, who is trusted by the civil rights community and by police unions as being somebody who’s fair and effective, and a good manager . . . who’s been confirmed twice before by the United States Senate for one of the biggest law-enforcement jobs in the country, has been now sitting there longer than the previous seven attorney general nominees combined,” Obama said.

“What are we doing here?” Obama continued. “There are times when the dysfunction in the Senate just goes too far . . . Enough. Enough. Call Loretta Lynch for a vote. Get her confirmed. Put her in place. Let her do her job. This is embarrassing, a process like that.”