Democrats Tie Confirmation to Inquiries

[Scurrilous]

Source: NY Times

<snip>

"Two Senate Democrats warned Monday that the Judiciary Committee would delay confirmation of President Bush’s choice for attorney general unless the White House turned over documents that the panel was seeking for several investigations.

Mr. Bush announced the selection of Michael B. Mukasey, a retired federal judge from New York who has presided over several high-profile terrorism trials, during a morning Rose Garden ceremony. He urged the Senate to confirm Mr. Mukasey promptly as the nation’s 81st attorney general, succeeding Alberto R. Gonzales, who resigned last month under withering attacks from Democrats on Capitol Hill."

<snip>

"The selection of Mr. Mukasey — a Washington outsider who met Mr. Bush for the first time during an hour-long interview at the White House on Sept. 1 — seemed to signal that the administration is looking to move past the partisanship that characterized Mr. Gonzales’s tenure.

But two Democrats who will have a powerful say over whether Mr. Mukasey gets confirmed — Senators Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont and Charles E. Schumer of New York — vowed on Monday to use the nomination to extract information from a reluctant White House."







Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/washington/18attorney.html?hp

[kansasblue]

1. but Bush pulled a fast one and put an acting 'mini-Gonzo' to run the place

Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler will serve as acting attorney general during Mukasey's confirmation process. Keisler, who has been nominated for a federal judgeship, had planned to resign from the Justice Department but agreed to stay on to free up Solicitor General Paul Clement — the department's highest-ranking Senate-confirmed official — to focus on Supreme Court hearings that begin next month.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_go_pr_wh/attorney_general

[seafan]

3. Yep. Keisler had planned to step down Sept 21 to spend more time with his family.

Now, conveniently, he's back. He was put in charge of the DOJ civil division in 2003 under Ashcroft, during the GOP's premeditated purge of career people.


Justice Department Official Resigns


Sep 6, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) — Assistant Attorney General Peter D. Keisler, who oversaw the Bush administration's lengthy legal fight over the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, announced his resignation Thursday as head of the civil division.

Keisler's departure comes in the wake of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' own resignation. Keisler is the latest senior official to leave at a time when lawmakers have criticized the department for not being politically independent from the White House.

President Bush nominated Keisler for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but the Senate has not acted on the nomination.

Keisler officially resigns Sept. 21. The department said Keisler has no immediate plans other than to spend time with his family.

Before taking charge of the civil division in 2003, Keisler was as a principal deputy associate attorney general and acting associate attorney general. He came to the department from the Washington law firm of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood.

He also served as associate counsel to President Reagan.

[PSPS]

4. Mini-Gonzo in spades -- he's the co-founder of the Federalist Society!

This is Bush's way of getting a recess appointment without the recess. Keisler is the guy he really wants in there. Mukasey is just a diversion.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. two words: recess appointment

"The White House wants Mr. Mukasey confirmed by Oct. 8, when the Senate leaves for its next recess."

[Skip Intro]

5. I could have sworn I saw a "screw Schumer" thead because he didn't back Leahy up on this...

I know I didn't imagine that.

How do reports of opposite things happening happen?

[Kagemusha]

6. Hey, I still don't know which version is correct.

Not one clue. Sometimes politics is really, really confusing.

[DavidDvorkin]

7. I hope they'll stick to their guns

And not suddenly back down.

[calimary]

10. Me, too!

We SO need them to stick to their guns. Let's see some BACKBONE!!!

You get what you want, george, WHEN WE GET WHAT WE WANT.

[Hulk]

8. Show some cahonies....

This Democratic leadership, and these Democrats that we sent to Washington better get off their asses and start shaking the walls down there, or this will be THEIR LAST TERM in office. I say, if they don't do what we want them to do...then vote the SOB's out of office along with the disgraced repugs before them. This country belongs TO THE PEOPLE...not to them alone.

I'm sick and tired of hearing all this bullshit about how "we can't impeach...don't have the numbers", "can't cut funding for the troops...simple math", and all these other lame ass excuses. I say give the money with dates for withdrawal....SOON...and if the monkey doesn't sign it, then send it back to him over and over and over again. That's all the dip shit gets.

Get real folks....we have gotten NOTHING from this stupid ass surge but one shining example where we've been able to bribe the locals to stop shooting at us, and quit blowing us up so we can place an "Al Qaeda label" on them. This is all bullshit.

IMPEACH, END THE WAR....and we need to get serious on mending our wounds in this country. We'll never be solvent in my life time, and it's all because of one lame ass, ignorant son of a bitch that "reads 87 books" a year. Give me a f*cking break!! I've NEVER heard anything so damned stupid in my life....NEVER!!

[trusty elf]

9. "reads 87 books" a year...

That's a book every four days. Impressive!

With his head up his ass all the time, how does he do it?

:shrug:

Maybe that's where his lie-berry is.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. are you sure you're in the right thread?

[rosesaylavee]

12. So you don't agree with Leahy and Schumer's

action as stated in the OP?

Not clear why you are ranting on this thread as they are displaying some cahones here.