McCain Dodges On Whether Waterboarding Answer Disqualifies Mukasey

Sen. John McCain criticized Rudy Giuliani in today's New York Times for failing to call waterboarding torture outright. But the former prisoner of war and torture victim won't do the same thing when it comes to Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey.

During his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Mukasey was asked if he believed waterboarding constituted a form of torture. The nominee hedged: "I don't know what is involved in the technique." He said that if waterboarding is torture, he would consider it unconstitutional, but refused to give Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) a yes or no answer.

Giuliani later defended Mukasey's formulation, suggesting that the liberal media was "misreporting" how waterboarding was done. McCain then laid into the former New York mayor today, saying, "They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture."

But will McCain join Senate Democrats in possibly holding up Mukasey's confirmation until he clears up his stance on waterboarding, as ThinkProgress proposed today? McCain's campaign suggests no.

"The Judiciary Committee process is ongoing and Sen. McCain believes that Judge Mukasey deserves an up-or-down vote based on his qualifications for the office of Attorney General," a McCain aide said in a Friday e-mail.

Comments

[realitytrumpsbull]

You know, it's kind of like even the pro-torture
people are part of the Log Cabin Republicans
anymore...any 10-year-old with a history book
and a little imagination could come up with
something better, here....wanna get the truth
out of somebody? Fine. Make em listen to
Britney, 24/7/365, after a week, they'll
give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, with footnotes AND verified
bibliographical references­...imagine a Britney/
Lawrence Welk/Slim Whitman simulcast...that,
and have to have Larry, The Aromatic, as
a cell-mate, cut it down to two days! LOL

[dwillisno1]

When you can't defend the nominee and and really don't want to be on record as having supported the nominee then you resort to the "deserves up or down vote" statement.

[BARRISTER]

Its funny how these republicans demand "up and down votes". When Clinton was President they refused to send a lot of his nominees out of Committee for an "up and down vote". I guess its different now. Further, on an "up and down vote" the republicans know that despite a Democrat Majority, they, the Reps and Bush will get their nominee because so many Democrat Senators are either closet Repubs or punkishly adherent to the fear and smear campaigns of the Repubs.

Yes, lets have an "up and down vote" on Impeachment too.

[claytongrayum]

McCain has lost all crediability. He used to speak truth to power. Now he is a slave to the office he seeks.

Keep playing to the NeoCons, they will put you in your grave.

[Dap]

The Double-talk express.

One thing is clear John McCain can talk out of this mouth and arse at the same time.

[GenXer]

Here is were McCain is: GOP rips apart any Dem with Military service, he is quiet. GOP supports torture, yes that kind of torture, he is quiet. GOP fails Vets, he is quiet.

[serialcoma]

McCain is bush's lap dog... and a sad pathetic old man as well. He stands for nothing but his own desire to be President... kind of like old Fred only slightly more animated.

[Grunty1]

McCain can't seem to sell out fast enough these days.

[ninthlevelmonk]

Jeez what happened to you man? Jon Stewart was right: The straight-talk express has become the bullshit mumble-mobile.