Sep 16, 2007 at 11:14 PM by Political Chase
It would be hard to overstate the concern and expectation that the Bush-Cheney nominee for Attorney General will be a political hack, acquiesce to the co-presidents’ every whim, and genuflect in their presence, but that may not be the case for Judge Mukasey. Glenn Greenwald (blogger, author, lawyer) says that while Mukasey has issued some questionable rulings in recent history, he has demonstrated and demanded strict adherence to the rule of law, and specifically in defiance to the Bush-Cheney White House.
Well worth reading…
Sep 16, 2007 at 9:18 PM by Political Chase
From the New York Times:
American military officials said Sunday that they captured a suspected militant linked to last week’s assassination of a Sunni Arab tribal leader in Anbar Province, in western Iraq, who had collaborated with the American military to fight insurgents.
An American military statement announced the arrest of the suspect, Fallah Khalifa Fayyas al-Jumaili, after a raid near Balad, north of Baghdad. Mr. Jumaili, also known as Abu Khamis, had been involved in a plot to kill several Sunni leaders working with the Americans against Sunni extremists, the statement said.
And Osama bin Laden remains free.
Sep 16, 2007 at 8:25 PM by Political Chase
President Bush has selected retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey to be the next Attorney General, and is expected to formally announce his decision tomorrow morning.
The Washington Post’s piece announcing the nomination gives a general impression that Democrats may view Mukasey more favorably than GOP conservatives. However, both Mukasey and his son have strong ties to Rudy Giuliani, which has already generated a guilty-by-association view.
[A] GOP source… said that Mukasey — the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — has a solid reputation and is seen by Bush aides as “confirmable.” (emphasis added)
That posture may not sit well with some conservatives in the legal world, who have relished the prospect of a confirmation fight over [former solicitor general Theodore] Olson.
Mukasey would probably enjoy the crucial support of Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has frequently mentioned him as a good choice to replace Gonzales.
Both Mukasey and his son, Marc, are connected with Rudolph W. Giuliani’s presidential campaign, as members of the Republican candidate’s justice advisory committee. Michael Mukasey worked as a federal prosecutor alongside Giuliani early in his career.
Outside the Beltway, there are indications Mukasey may be acceptable to liberal bloggers, but not to conservative bloggers.
On the liberal side, Mr. Futomaki at Kos wrote this earlier today:
Mukasey…is a leading contender (or the leading contender) to replace the amoral and incompetent Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General…If this is true, Dems should truly breathe a sigh of relief. While the man is no liberal, he is a true lawyer’s lawyer and a staunch upholder of justice and the rule of law.
Rick Moran at the American Thinker opines that the mere notion of Chuck Schumer’s approval may upset conservatives, “raising suspicions that the former judge might not be as much to their liking as someone else.”
Find out more about Judge Mukasey.
Sep 16, 2007 at 12:57 AM by Political Chase
MoveOn.org turns the betrayal focus on George Bush.
