Mukasey Is (Much) Worse Than Gonzales

[kurth]

Mukasey Is (Much) Worse Than Gonzales
John Nichols
Sun Nov 4, 4:31 PM ET

The Nation -- George Bush's nominee to replace disgraced former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, retired Federal Judge Michael B. Mukasey, must be rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee for the same reason that Gonzales should have been rejected in 2005.

Like Gonzales, Mukasey refuses to accept that the president of the United States must abide by the laws of the land, beginning with the Constitution. In fact, the nominee to replace the worst Attorney General since Calvin Coolidge forced Harry Micajah Daugherty to quit rather than face impeachment is actually takes a more extreme position in defense of an imperial presidency than did Gonzales.

When questioned by Judiciary Committee chair Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont and Constitution sub-committee chair Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, during the key hearing on his nomination, Mukasey embraces an interpretation of presidential authority so radical that it virtually guarantees more serious abuses of power by the executive branch.

There is no question that one of the ugliest manifestations of that expansion of authority involves the Bush-Cheney administration's embrace of extraordinary rendition and torture as tools for achieving its ends. But those who focus too intensely on Mukasey's troubling dance around the waterboarding question make a mistake. Even if the nominee were to embrace the Geneva Conventions -- not to mention the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- and condemn all forms of torture as the cruel and unusual punishment that they are, he would still be an entirely unacceptable choice to serve as the nation's chief law-enforcement officer...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071104/cm_thenation/1248702

[TomClash]

1. This raises an interesting but frightening question

If the Presidency is imperial and monarchs rule until they die, will King George really abdicate his throne in January 2009?

[madrchsod]

2. i doubt he will

[kohodog]

6. George W Musharraf ??

He won't need to fire the chief justice, only the four difficult ones.

[TomClash]

7. Sometimes I think you're right

. . . but others think this is nonsense. I think he will leave but there is a chance he will not.

[kohodog]

3. Can anyone name a Bush replacement who was better than the incumbent?

I never thought an AG could be worse than Ashcroft. But he found Gonzo. Miers didn't make the cut and we got Roberts AND Alito.

He just goes deeper into the pit for his selections. I say keep the posts empty because it will only get worse with any nominee he proposes.

[...of J.Temperance]

4. I don't support the nomination of Mukasey....and I don't know why

Senator Schumer, Senator Feinstein et al are supporting Mukasey's nomination either....I'm baffled by their decision.

I think the Senate Democrats should reject this critter.

[ulysses]

8. baffling, isn't it?

I know I'm baffled. Much bafflement to be had here.

[...of J.Temperance]

9. Have they given any logical reason as to why they're supporting this creep?

Just when you think W couldn't pick anyone worse than Gonzo....he throws up this character.

[ulysses]

12. I think Feinstein mumbled something

about letting Chimpy have his nominees so that the next (presumably Dem) president could have his/hers. Because we all know that the Repukes play by the rules, yes?

[...of J.Temperance]

13. Jaysus, haven't some of our Democrats learned by now

That yeah, the Republicans ALWAYS change the goalposts when there's a Democratic President.

[MADem]

5. I don't think he's worse for any of those reasons, frankly.

I think he's worse because he's a helluva lot SMARTER than Gonzales.

Just as mendacious, but smarter.

[dmr]

15. I agree

So smart, in fact, that he won't have to give non-sensical answers when before a committee. He'll be able to articulate very well his or the Federalist Society's crafty responses. That is mighty frightening.

[Spazito]

10. The real AG is Addington/Cheney, imo....

regardless of who is sitting in the AG seat. The Democrats would be much smarter to reject every nominee that will not stipulate the President is not above the law, etc. It will not change what is currently in place but will, at the very least, send a strong message to the public that the Democrats will not enable an imperial Presidency that tortures.

[femrap]

11. Has a Special Prosecutor even been

mentioned? Or are the Dems afraid to say those words?

[UTUSN]

14. Neh, ANY White-Man is better than ANY Meskin, everybody knows that!1 n/t