lily
10-30-2007, 09:03 PM
We need change and someone that will uphold the law. Obviously Mykasey is not it. (http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/30/democrats.mukasey/index.html)
Leading 2008 Democrats come out against attorney general nominee
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The three leading Democratic presidential candidates
announced Tuesday they will oppose President Bush's nomination for attorney
general, citing his recent testimony on torture and executive power.
Retired Judge Michael Mukasey was nominated to replace former Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales.
Retired Judge Michael Mukasey was nominated by President Bush to replace
Alberto Gonzales, who stepped down last month amid controversy.
Earlier this month, Mukasey's refusal to directly disavow waterboarding and
other interrogation techniques frustrated Senate Democrats during
confirmation hearings.
"After the dismal performance of the last attorney general, I had hoped that
Judge Michael Mukasey would represent a badly needed change in direction for
the Justice Department and the nation," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said
in a written statement. "But his testimony before the Senate was stunning.
"While his legal credentials are strong, his views on two critical and
related matters are, in my view, disqualifying," Obama said. "We don't need
another attorney general who believes that the president enjoys an unwritten
right to secretly ignore any law or abridge our constitutional freedoms
simply by invoking national security.
"And we don't need another attorney general who looks the other way on
issues as profound as torture," said Obama, who called the nominee's
"ignorance" of the debate over waterboarding and other interrogation
techniques "appalling."
On the heels of the Obama announcement, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and
former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina made their own similar
announcements.
"I am deeply troubled by Judge Mukasey's continued unwillingness to clearly
state his views on torture and unchecked executive power," Clinton said in a
written statement.
"After Alberto Gonzales' troubled tenure, we cannot send a signal that the
next attorney general in any way condones torture or believes that the
president is unconstrained by law."
Edwards' statement was issued about the same time.
"The credibility of the Justice Department has been badly tarnished, and it
is now clear that Mukasey is not the man to restore it. The Senate should
reject his nomination."
The statements came two days after another Democratic presidential nominee,
Sen. Chris Dodd, announced his plans to vote against Mukasey's confirmation
as attorney general, basing his decision on the nominee's contention that
the president can overrule a federal statute when the nation's defense is at
risk.
Dodd, of Connecticut, accused the Bush administration of having "trampled
all over the rule of law," and added, "I'm not about to confirm a nominee
that would continue that process here."
He said he was also bothered by the nominee's refusal to declare
waterboarding is a form of torture and U.S. interrogators should not use it,
but found Mukasey's comments on presidential powers more troubling.
Sen. John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate, told reporters he
disagrees with Mukasey over the waterboarding issue but may still vote to
confirm him.
Bush nominated the 66-year-old retired federal judge to replace Gonzales,
who resigned in September amid questions about his role in the 2006 firings
of eight U.S. attorneys and whether he misled Congress about the Bush
administration's no-warrant eavesdropping program.
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter of
Pennsylvania, has asked Mukasey to submit in writing information to clarify
his remarks to the committee.
Specter asked Mukasey to explain his answer to a question on whether a
president may legally authorize wiretaps that violate the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, to which Mukasey responded by saying it
"would have to depend on whether what goes on outside the statute
nonetheless lies within the authority of the president to defend the
country."
Specter also asked Mukasey to "respond in detail as to your views on the
legality and propriety of waterboarding."
During his confirmation hearings earlier this month, Mukasey said he
believes torture violates the Constitution, but he refused to be pinned down
on whether he believes specific interrogation techniques, such as
waterboarding, are constitutional.
"I don't know what's involved in the techniques. If waterboarding is
torture, torture is not constitutional," he said.
Waterboarding was specifically prohibited in a law passed by Congress.
The Bush administration has declared that, while it does not torture
detainees, it won't reveal which interrogation techniques may be used.
Leading 2008 Democrats come out against attorney general nominee
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The three leading Democratic presidential candidates
announced Tuesday they will oppose President Bush's nomination for attorney
general, citing his recent testimony on torture and executive power.
Retired Judge Michael Mukasey was nominated to replace former Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales.
Retired Judge Michael Mukasey was nominated by President Bush to replace
Alberto Gonzales, who stepped down last month amid controversy.
Earlier this month, Mukasey's refusal to directly disavow waterboarding and
other interrogation techniques frustrated Senate Democrats during
confirmation hearings.
"After the dismal performance of the last attorney general, I had hoped that
Judge Michael Mukasey would represent a badly needed change in direction for
the Justice Department and the nation," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said
in a written statement. "But his testimony before the Senate was stunning.
"While his legal credentials are strong, his views on two critical and
related matters are, in my view, disqualifying," Obama said. "We don't need
another attorney general who believes that the president enjoys an unwritten
right to secretly ignore any law or abridge our constitutional freedoms
simply by invoking national security.
"And we don't need another attorney general who looks the other way on
issues as profound as torture," said Obama, who called the nominee's
"ignorance" of the debate over waterboarding and other interrogation
techniques "appalling."
On the heels of the Obama announcement, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and
former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina made their own similar
announcements.
"I am deeply troubled by Judge Mukasey's continued unwillingness to clearly
state his views on torture and unchecked executive power," Clinton said in a
written statement.
"After Alberto Gonzales' troubled tenure, we cannot send a signal that the
next attorney general in any way condones torture or believes that the
president is unconstrained by law."
Edwards' statement was issued about the same time.
"The credibility of the Justice Department has been badly tarnished, and it
is now clear that Mukasey is not the man to restore it. The Senate should
reject his nomination."
The statements came two days after another Democratic presidential nominee,
Sen. Chris Dodd, announced his plans to vote against Mukasey's confirmation
as attorney general, basing his decision on the nominee's contention that
the president can overrule a federal statute when the nation's defense is at
risk.
Dodd, of Connecticut, accused the Bush administration of having "trampled
all over the rule of law," and added, "I'm not about to confirm a nominee
that would continue that process here."
He said he was also bothered by the nominee's refusal to declare
waterboarding is a form of torture and U.S. interrogators should not use it,
but found Mukasey's comments on presidential powers more troubling.
Sen. John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate, told reporters he
disagrees with Mukasey over the waterboarding issue but may still vote to
confirm him.
Bush nominated the 66-year-old retired federal judge to replace Gonzales,
who resigned in September amid questions about his role in the 2006 firings
of eight U.S. attorneys and whether he misled Congress about the Bush
administration's no-warrant eavesdropping program.
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter of
Pennsylvania, has asked Mukasey to submit in writing information to clarify
his remarks to the committee.
Specter asked Mukasey to explain his answer to a question on whether a
president may legally authorize wiretaps that violate the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, to which Mukasey responded by saying it
"would have to depend on whether what goes on outside the statute
nonetheless lies within the authority of the president to defend the
country."
Specter also asked Mukasey to "respond in detail as to your views on the
legality and propriety of waterboarding."
During his confirmation hearings earlier this month, Mukasey said he
believes torture violates the Constitution, but he refused to be pinned down
on whether he believes specific interrogation techniques, such as
waterboarding, are constitutional.
"I don't know what's involved in the techniques. If waterboarding is
torture, torture is not constitutional," he said.
Waterboarding was specifically prohibited in a law passed by Congress.
The Bush administration has declared that, while it does not torture
detainees, it won't reveal which interrogation techniques may be used.