Eric Holder, AG

Notice the difference in the way Holder was announced versus HRC?

President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration, still has to undergo a formal "vetting" review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final and is publicly announced, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified talking about the transition process. But in the discussions over the past few days, Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted, the source said.

The announcement was definitive, straightforward, and without drama.

By contrast, the HRC saga is anything but. Also of interest was this line:

The announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments.

That's another way of saying he hasn't made the SoS announcement yet. Assuming Obama is going a different direction than HRC, rather than needlessly humiliate her, he's putting out a new story to calm the speculation on the SoS front.

I hope I'm not reading too much into this, but it's exactly what I love about Obama's decision-making process. He's in command, but he isn't throwing his weight around just for the sake of flexing his muscles.