Top Democrats: Mukasey Nomination Hinges on Waterboarding

Mukasey's nomination runs into trouble

Attorney General Nominee Faces Uphill Battle to Head Justice Department

LAURIE KELLMAN
AP News

Oct 25, 2007 17:19 EDT

Judge Michael Mukasey's nomination for attorney general ran into trouble Thursday when two top Senate Democrats said their votes hinge on whether he will say on the record that an interrogation technique that simulates drowning is torture.

"It's fair to say my vote would depend on him answering that question," Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told reporters late Thursday.

"This to me is the seminal issue," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, another member of Leahy's panel. Asked if his vote depends on whether Mukasey equates waterboarding with torture, Durbin answered, "It does."

Leahy has refused to set a date for a vote on Mukasey's nomination until he clarifies his answer to that question.

Separately, a Democrat familiar with the panel's deliberations said Mukasey may not get the 10 committee votes his nomination needs to be reported to the Senate floor with a favorable recommendation unless he says, in effect, that waterboarding is torture. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak more freely.

Mukasey's confirmation shifted away from being a virtual certainty last week when he refused to say explicitly whether waterboarding amounts to torture and is unconstitutional.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/10/mukaseys_nomination_runs_into.php

even if they waterboard him to get the answer?

If he states that Water boarding is Torture then the Busholini Regime is guilty of Torturing, violating the GC & The Constitution of the USA. Impeachment would have to be issued in the House. He is in a no win situation. I still think that he will be confirmed.

opinion as a judge, would have that kind of impact.

there's no reason to trust him. and if they reject him, keisler will certainly keep a policy of torture.

drop him back in the tub and go out for coffee.

If a Pres. can define it then he or she could state that pulling out finger nails is not Torture. Yeah, that would be insane but isn't that what Mukasey is basically stating?

Stating that not confirming him would leave a person in the AG position for a longer time is the reason that Muk should be confirmed doesn't solve any longer term problem. The next nominee could be in a few weeks. That person could be more acceptable.

We don't need a gonzales lite, we need a complete opposite of a gonzales. This is deplorable.