Benchmarking Schumer on John Bolton, David Addington and Mukasey

I was for confirming Judge Michael Mukasey as Attorney General before his stumbles and somersaults over defining what is and is not torture. The fact is that there are people in the administration -- some still serving and some recently departed -- who can answer the question on water-boarding far more directly than Mukasey did. That alone should be enough for Senator Chuck Schumer to say no to the person he helped recommend to serve as this nation's Attorney General.

On paper, Mukasey was a good choice. But in his performance, he decided to lick and polish the boots of Bush administration torture-meister, Cheney chief-of-staff David Addington. When that happened, Mukasey went to the dark side and abandoned the excellent efforts put forward by other Bush administration anti-torture advocates like Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State John Bellinger, former State Departement Policy Planning Deputy Director Matthew Waxman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, and former Counselor to Secretary of State Rice Philip Zelikow.

During the "third" major effort by the administration to get John Bolton confirmed as US Ambassador to the United Nations, one of the shocking parts of that battle was not only trying to get Republicans like former Senator Lincoln Chafee to stand strong against Bolton -- but to undo the damage that Schumer was doing inside the Democratic Caucus.

Two Democratic Senators involved in that part of the Bolton battle -- one on the Foreign Relations Committee and one not -- told me personally that Senator Schumer called them to say "a vote against Bolton is a vote against Israel."

Well, who does Schumer work for? The United States or Israel? And how ridiculous is that statement anyway?! Democrats and Republicans both have been excellent stewards of the US-Israel relationship in the United Nations. To personalize the national security issues between America and the Israelis was a sloppy, reckless mistake by Schumer -- one that he and everyone now involved in this Mukasey matter should remember.

One heavyweight Democratic donor who tried to encourage Schumer to do whatever he needed to do on Bolton but stop lobbying the caucus was so frustrated with Schumer's hyperventilating support for Bolton and enthusiastic conflation of the unconfirmed Ambassador and Israel that the donor told me, "that call just saved me a lot of money" -- meaning he wouldn't deal much with Schumer or his designs any longer.

Fortunately, Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Christopher Dodd undid the damage done by Schumer in a Democratic Caucus Luncheon and Dodd got the Dems to stand strong on Bolton despite Schumer's lobbying against Democratic Party and American national interests.

That allowed Senator Lincoln Chafee -- and behind the scenes Senator Richard Lugar -- to deploy the final coup de grace to the Bolton confirmation effort.

Schumer has a chance to prove people like me wrong -- that he's not soft on pugnacious nationalism of the Jesse Helms and John Bolton sort -- and he's not soft on torture a la David Addington style.

Past experience says he'll support Mukasey and consider this his "profiles in courage moment" where he weighed the country's interests, his party's interests, and screwed both because of his own idiosyncratic involvement with this nominee.

But I hope I'm wrong.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[Fez]

Good question: does Senator Schumer work for the US or Israel? The same question could be asked of 3/4 of this administration: whose side are you on? Schumer, in addition to being as irritating as an anal boil, shows on a daily basis why most Americans despise New Yorkers. He is loud, grating, arrogant, and ignorant. It's hard to believe that he is "sponsoring" Mukasey. I didn't realize that he was pimping Bolton, but if that is the case, he needs to resign. The Senate does not need people like Schumer to bloviate, grandstand, and demagogue. That's why we have a President.

[hellenhat]

Time to call 202 224 2447 and advise the office of the DSCC that no monies will be forthcoming to their campaigns if Schumer votes to move this nomination.

By not acknowledging that he can no longer support Mukasey because of his refusal to say that waterboarding is torture (I mean, really, all the way back to the Spanish Inquisition!) and that the president could be and/or could place someone above the law, Schumer places himself in the position of condoning both.

By withdrawing his support bacause of this, he shows that he can change his mind about supporting someone who does not believe in the rule of law and the constitution.

You can also call the "undecideds", Ben Cardin, Russ Feingold, Herb Kohl and Schumer at 800 828 0498 or 800 459 1887 or 800 614 2803.

Diane Feinstein is also leaning towards. Reach her at the above 800 numbers.

We do not need another Alberto Gonzalez who does not completely believe in the constitution.

"Burn up those phone lines" This is too important not to do so.

[whimsicalpig]

Senator Schumer is my Senator and I have contacted him numerous times about the damage that is being done to our constitution by the current administration. Specifically the current FISA legislation and this AG nominee.

If Mr. Schumer feels that his allegience to Israel is such that he must circumvent his advise and consent obligations in order to cater to the Israeli lobby, perhaps he should resign from the US Senate and chose to hold office in an Israeli government position.

I will certainly not vote for him again if he doesn't withdraw his support for the AG nominee

[ROADRUNNER DEM]

UP UNTIL THIS ARTICLE, I REALLY FELT SORRY FOR SENATOR SCHUMER. I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST BLINDSIDED. BUT, EVEN THOUGH I AM A STRONG SUPPORTER OF ISRAEL, I CANNOT AGREE WITH ALL THE WRONG THINKING THAT HAS BEEN PERPETRATED ON US IN THE NAME OF HELPING ISRAEL!
SINCE WHEN DO 2 OR 3 WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT? WE ARE IN SUCH A PRECARIOUSLY WEAK POSITION IN THE WORLD TODAY, BOTH MILITARILY AND CREDIBILITY-WISE, THAT WE ARE LESS ABLE TO PROVIDE ISRAEL OR OUR OTHER ALLIES EVERY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
JUDGE MICHAEL MUKASEY NEEDED ALL THIS TIME AND 4 PAGES TO EXPLAIN HIS VIEWS ON WATERBOARDING'! I DONT NEED ALL THAT TIME TO KNOW HE IS THE WRONG PERSON TO BECOME ATTORNEY GENERAL....SCHUMER MUST VOTE NO!
I ALSO DONT LIKE MUKASEY'S VIEWS AS TO WHETHER THE PRESIDENT IS ABOVE THE LAWS OF THIS LAND. EITHER THE CONSTITUTION AND OTHER STATUTES APPLY TO ALL OF US -OR TO NONE OF US.
OUR COUNTRY HAS FACED MANY WARS, CATASTROPHIES AND NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE PAST. IT'S A SELLOUT TO BUSH'S 'WAR OF TERROR ON THE US' TO BUCKLE UNDER LIKE THIS. WE DESERVE BETTER!
IF SENATOR SCHUMER CANNOT MAKE A CLEAR DECISION ON THIS NOMINATION, I FEAR IT MAY BE TOO LATE. CANADA, ANYONE?

[Lt]

another criminal
impeach them all and stop the funding

[mommadona]

So, Schumer only listens to that "normal people couple" in his head when he wants to or when it's convenient...

How disappointing.
Here I thought he might be one of the 'good guys'.

I'm slowly coming to the realization there are NO more 'good guys' on EITHER side of the aisle.

And, Israel is now an ADULT (over 50) AND ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ITSELF AND IT'S OWN DECISIONS, THANKYEWVERYMUCH.

I say let's cut off that hefty allowance and let that ADULT fend for themselves.

Schumer, you are a schmutz.