Senators Clash With Nominee Over Torture and Limits of Law

[cal04]

President Bush’s nominee for attorney general, Michael B. Mukasey, declined Thursday to say if he considered harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding, which simulates drowning, to constitute torture or to be illegal if used on terrorism suspects.

(snip)
Among the Democrats, Mr. Leahy was especially critical of Mr. Mukasey, wondering aloud whether he had been pressured overnight by the White House to defend the administration’s view of its expanded powers in dealing with terrorist threats.

“In your answers yesterday, there was a very bright line on questions of torture and the ability of an executive, or inability of an executive, to ignore the law,” Mr. Leahy said. “That seems nowhere near as bright a line today, and maybe I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t know whether you received some criticism from anybody in the administration last night after your testimony,” he said, “but I sensed a difference, and a number of people here, Republican and Democratic alike, have sensed a difference.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/washington/19mukasey.html?hp

[Rageneau]

1. Leahy job isn't to ask questions. It's to confirm whomever Bush sends him. Period.

Leahy wastes a lot of time in his committee meetings looking grave and concerned and lamenting that he is 'suspicious' of this thing or that.

All of which is a big waste of time.

In the end, Leahy will step aside and let Mukasey (or Gonzalez, or anybody else) get confirmed, so why pretend that he cares about what these guys will do?

If he CARED, he'd DO something!