Dodd Sets Pace on Dunking Mukasey

Kudos to Chris Dodd whose third-tier-nothing-to-lose presidential campaign has sprouted him a robust pair of cojones. Dodd became the most prominent Democrat, and the first among
the presidential candidates, to declare he will vote against Bush nominee Michael Mukasey's confirmation as Attorney General.

Angered by Mukasey's Senate testimony last week in which the former federal judge and prosecutor floated a legal "theory" that the President of the United States could, indeed, stand above constitutional statutes, Dodd declared on Monday:

"That is about as basic as it gets," Dodd said. "You must obey the law. Everyone must."

Dodd, along with a slew of other legal and political observers were also dismayed when Mukasey dodged Senators' questions last week about whether or not so-called waterboarding was, in fact, a form of torture. After eluding any straight answer, Mukasey wound up making the incredulous statement that he wasn't quite sure what was meant by the term.

Over the weekend, some leading Senate Democrats ranging from Dianne Feinstein of California to Carl Levin of Michigan engaged in their own form of equivocation, warning they might vote against Mukasey if he doesn't properly clarify his views when he responds to written questions from the Senate later this week.

But Dodd's bold stepping-out on this issue, rejecting any mulligan for a nominee who refuses to call torture by its proper name, seems like it might force the hand of fellow Democrats who might start looking rather silly if they don't turn thumbs down on the newly proposed AG. Within hours of Dodd's statement, fellow candidate and Delaware Senator Joe Biden also said he had made up his mind to vote nay. Campaign spokesmen for John Edwards and Bill Richardson also joined the chorus. And by late Monday night, the campaign of Barack Obama piled on, telling The New York Sun:

"Judge Mukasey has failed to send a clear signal that he understands the legal and moral issues that are at stake for our country, and so I cannot support him." Mr. Obama said even a clarification from Judge Mukasey would be insufficient. "No nominee for attorney general should need a second chance to oppose torture and the unnecessary violation of civil liberties," he said.

After this barrage, Mukasey's nomination might be dead in the water -- if you'll excuse the pun.

Comments

[Kally]

The Democrats now have one more chance to show what they were elected to do. Oppose the crooked, corrupt king george the turd's reign. This man does not deserve to be the Attorney General and if the Democrats don't understand this, ALL who vote for him need to be VOTED OUT of office.

[Steamboater]

Dems have used up all their second chances. For anyone to say they have another chance is delusional. I'm not a betting man but I'd bet whatever money I have that Mukusasey slides through and Bush gets his way again.

[Zhonni]

I am glad Sen. Dodd is taking a stand against this imbecile. The president can be above the constitution in certain cercumstances?

HE SHOULD NEVER BE CONFIRMED!!!

[shaggles]

Exactly. That's a much bigger issue to than whether or not waterborading is torture (it is.)

[divingmarienkaefer]

funny,I thought senator schumer suggested that little worm for AG to bush. now mr schumer is dead silent about his little protégé.

[exflatlander]

I heard Bernie Sanders of Vermont say last week that he wouldn't vote for him, and Pat Leahy, the senator that someone here called a push-over(!) presented Mukasey with written questions for which he expects written statements.

Given the precedent for this administration, I'd say there's no chance of that happening. So, add Pat Leahy, too.

[TXfemmom]

Well, any Democrat who now votes for this goon should be waterboarded, themselves, politically.

[IntelligentDesign]

It appears that the "quaint old notion" of rule of law and not of men is making a comeback - the good guys always win (eventually).

[WIpatriot]

Not so much lately....

[MikeStrong]

What this really means is that we need to keep fighting and voting down a string of attorney general nominees until the end of this administration. G. Bush will not keep sending neander-nazis to take this position and you can be sure that each succeeding one will use more discreet lies to eventually get the position.

Nothing like the "mild-mannered" to mild-mannerdly cause the most horrific mayhem (think the nebbish-bookish-looking Himmler).

No matter what they say and no matter what their past record, we need to vote down any AG nominees from the Bush administration. If by chance Bush were to nominate a genuinely good candidate I find it hard to believe that he or she would be allowed to do good, honest work.

[lycanthrope]

Agreed.

[WIpatriot]

Just say NO!

[digitalcommando]

this same thing happened with the "judges" in germany. remember that movie "judgement at nuremberg." maybe stanley kramer should have had burt lancaster say at the end of the movie "I'LL BE BACK."

[MissingAmerica]

If the President is above the rule of law in this country, this is no longer a Democracy. It appears that Mukasey would be even worse than Gonzales, if that is possible.

We must all urge Congress to vote AGAINST Mukasey, and to vote FOR impeachment of this tyrannical administration.

[DELICIOUS]

GO CHRIS!!!! IT'S GREAT TO SEE SOMEONE STAND UP TO THE CORRUPT BU$H ADMINISTRATION AND HIS PAID RACKETEERS. THE WHOLE GROUP NEEDS TO BE CHARGED WITH RIPO...RACKTEERING IN POLITICAL OFFICE.

[darcy]

topseeded wrote: "I'll bet if everybody sent a campaign contribution to Senator Dodd, the rest of the candidates would be screaming their rejection of Judge Mukasey and people like him and they would be a lot quicker in renouncing people like this in the future. Candidates seem to respond well to money, unfortunately."

That's an excellent thought, topseeded. If we reward the candidates when they show fortitude and ethics, perhaps more of them will stop being afraid of the big bad bush and step boldly forth. That would exclude Hillary, for sure, because she hasn't shown any fortitude or ethics; nothing but political maneuvering.

[bluesnot]

Dodd kinda reminds me of Dean.

[serenegeezer]

Dodd = Dean, a compliment to both.

[jazzman]

OK Democrats. This is about as plain as it gets. You have a nominee for Attorney General who thinks, that maybe, perhaps, the President is above the law. This IS about as basic as it gets. Confirm this guy and you have proven yourself to be worse than hapless or useless. You have become enablers in the move to destroy the rule of law and replace the Constitution with a strong arm fascist government.

Yes, I've switched from Obama to Dodd as the person I support for President. For while Obama keeps running for President on a platform of 'better process.' Dodd is out taking stands.

[Tatischev68]

Good for Mr Dodd. But no prizes to Marc Cooper who doesn't know the difference between "incredulous" and "incredible". He should raise his vocabulary to the level of his reporting.

[nick1936]

Yes Good for Dodd but where is McCain on this issue????

[serialcoma]

McCAin is out looking for more boards....

[Grunty1]

McCain might as well have said that waterboarding is only torture when a Bush doesn't order it.

[ibb47]

To Marc:

Could you dig out the transcripts from the courtroom of Mukasey when he was the judge overseeing and ruling on the cases of all those post 9/11 detainees in and around New York? I briefly saw a piece on it a couple months back, but the exchanges this Judge Mukasey had with these rounded-up suspects was very disturbing (ie, very fasco-nazi) in tone. The mild-mannered judge certainly wasnt being very mild-mannered, let alone nice. I think if you or someone could dig out those transcripts, Mr. Mukasey's nomination might be much less a sure thing.

[KeysDan]

Senator Dodd's position is encouraging, but Judge Mukasky's appointment is all but assured, thanks to Senator Schumer's support and prior approval. Guess being a New Yorker, as good as that may be, trumps all else in his mind. After all is said and done (mostly said), the distinquished Democratic Senators will be "satisfied" with the promises and responses. The only real hope would be for Senator Leahy to have a waterboarding demonstration during the hearings, with each Senator taking turns as the waterboarding model, starting with Mr. Schumer, followed by Mrs. Feinstein and ending with Mrs. Clinton.

[easyrider1969]

An idea whose time has come!

[GhostintheMachine]

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- If John Murtha were a businessman, he'd be the biggest employer in this town.

The powerful U.S. congressman has used his clout on Capitol Hill to create thousands of jobs and steer billions of dollars in federal spending to help his hometown in western Pennsylvania recover from devastating floods and the flight of its steelmakers.


More is on the way. In the massive 2008 military-spending bill now before Congress -- which could go to a House-Senate conference as soon as Thursday -- Mr. Murtha has steered more taxpayer funds to his congressional district than any other member. The Democratic lawmaker is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which will oversee more than $459 billion in military spending this year.

Johnstown's good fortune has come at the expense of taxpayers everywhere else. Defense contractors have found that if they open an office here and hire the right lobbyist, they can get lucrative, no-bid contracts. Over the past decade, Concurrent Technologies Corp., a defense-research firm that employs 800 here, got hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to Rep. Murtha despite poor reviews by Pentagon auditors. The National Drug Intelligence Center, with 300 workers, got $509 million, though the White House has tried for years to shut it down as wasteful and unnecessary. Another beneficiary: MTS Technologies, run by a man who got his start some 40 years ago shining shoes at Mr. Murtha's Johnstown Minute Car Wash.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119371051667975920.html

[ronspri]

Ghost, wrong thread for this. It has nothing to do with what is discussed in the post. Try to stay on topic or people will assume you have nothing in your head but cut and paste.

[GhostintheMachine]

I know it is, but Huffpost would never start a thread about it.

[nomoredead]

Ghosttheswiftboater has arrived.