Reply #4: Surprise! Here's the reason why the change of tone about Gitmo:

[babylonsister]

I guess they want Mukasey confirmed badly.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/24/mukasey-signals-support-for-torture/

Mukasey signals support for torture.

Newsweek reports that in recent private meetings with “hard-liners,” Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey reassured conservatives that he was committed to the Bush administration’s right-wing ideology:

According to three sources, who asked not to be named discussing the private meetings, Mukasey said that he saw “significant problems” with shutting down Guantánamo Bay and that he understood the need for the CIA to use some “enhanced” interrogation techniques against Qaeda suspects. Mukasey also signaled reluctance with naming a special prosecutor to investigate Bush-administration misconduct, according to one participant.

One “well-connected” conservative who attended the meeting later observed, “Gosh, I’m a little worried that the Democrats might have problems with him.”