Kerry to oppose Mukasey nomination

[whometense]

Hot off the presses:

Kerry Statement on Mukasey Nomination



WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator John Kerry made the following statement today on the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey for Attorney General of the United States.



"Judge Mukasey’s refusal to classify the barbaric practice of waterboarding as torture waves a red flag about his nomination to serve an Administration that has adhered to the Cheney doctrine on executive power and torture. I am not comfortable confirming anyone who cannot see that this method of interrogation is antithetical to American values and traditions – especially not to a position that is charged with representing our entire justice system. We need to reestablish faith in the Department of Justice.



“Many of us wanted to believe that Judge Mukasey could undo the damage of the Gonzales years. Unfortunately his lack of candor and his refusal to acknowledge this abuse of power suggest he is unable or unwilling to do so, and this is why I will be opposing Judge Mukasey’s nomination to be the next Attorney General of the United States."



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[GodlessBiker]

1. Have any Democrats come out in favor of Mukasey?

[babylonsister]

3. Schumer's not talking now but originally supported him. nt

[GodlessBiker]

4. Oh, yes. His vote will be interesting.

[Mass]

5. Here is the status of the vote at this point

(Kerry not yet included at the moment I post)

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/here_it_is_a_handy_chart_to_follow_which_senators_are_where_on_mukasey.php

Most Republicans voted YES.

Most Democrats + Lieberman not yet decided.

[Inuca]

9. Not really true that most repubs are a YES

They say they assume a YES if they do not have any info to the contrary, WHich, I agree, is probably a safe assumption, but you never know....

[PresidentObama]

2. Thank you, Senator Kerry. God, I wish you were the one picking our AG.

How great this nation would be.

A damn shame.

But thank you Senator Kerry for the leadership you've continued to show once again.

[flpoljunkie]

6. I heard Feingold tell Ed Schultz today that he had not made a final decision on Mukasey.

And that he was, of course, troubled about Mukasey's unanswered questions.

[LindainCinci]

7. Finnally Kerry speaks up,

but I'm shocked to hear Feingold not making the decision yet. Personally any real Dem should be opposing Mukasey. They've given hiim enough opportunity to try to repair the damange he caused himself.

[Mass]

8. 42 Democrats have not made their decision yet. Only 9 have.

Sanders and Kerry are the 2 only ones who are neither in the Judiciary Committee or running for President to speak.

[ginnyinWI]

11. my Senator Feingold has this one flaw:

He believes a president should have his/her own nominees confirmed. But not, I say, under these extreme circumstances. The current Occupant has not got the people and the country as his priorities--or if he really, truly does, he's completely wrong about how to do good for the country!

I hope Russ has come to see by now that this guy is not competent to pick a nominee.

I just wrote to him and told him so.

[pacalo]

13. Especially those who believe a president should have his own nominees confirmed should be leading

the pack in pushing for impeachment of this lawless administration. It defies common sense that they are wasting time on confirmation of nominees that are clearly nominated to carry out this administration's lawlessness.

I do like Sen. Feingold, btw, & would trade him in a heartbeat for both of my senators. :)

[ginnyinWI]

16. I like your sig line and agree 100%

I'm still recovering from the '04 election.

[pacalo]

24. So am I.

Every once in a while, I like to look at my Kerry pictures to remind myself how many people must be as fed up as we all are:

[karynnj]

17. He actually did speak last Friday to a MA paper, the Bershire Eagle

about how he was troubled by his comments on torture, but that he was not on the committee and had not read the transcripts. I think it is typical for people to wait until it is out of committee to comment. Not to mention - how many times did Kerry say last year America should not torture period. He has had the same strong position since 1971 on this. (I always thought it was strange that the media said McCain had special credibility on this because he was tortured, when I thought that Kerry, who took the risk as a decorated war hero to speak against the war and to demand the US keep the Geneva convention doesn't. The latter is far more indicative of someone who cared deeply that the country stand for its values.)

[whometense]

21. Kerry isn't on the judiciary committee,

so actually he is one of the earliest senators not on the committee to come out in opposition. And Ted Kennedy, who is on judiciary just made his statement today.

So Kerry deserves approval for this, not sniping.

[Inuca]

10. Was there ever any doubt? n/t

[pacalo]

12. Torture is a keystone concept that can be comprehended by any American.

There's no way that a rational American can support any nomination who would condone torture. If he were running for the head of the S.P.C.A., he shouldn't be confirmed.

[ProSense]

14. Excellent statement!

Suggested reading for undecided Dems (and Republicans):

The sad decline of Michael Mukasey

"The real reason why Judge Mukasey cannot say that waterboarding is illegal..."

[DCKit]

15. The ONE person who should be screaming about torture is McCain.

He should be holding daily pressers on the issue and could have embarrassed the sadists into stopping two years ago. But he hasn't.

Another loyal lapdog of the RNC.

[YvonneCa]

19. I'm not a fan...

...of McCain...but he did try. He said that torture is not about who 'they' are (paraphrasing), it's about who 'we' are. Bush slapped him down with a signing statement while signing his legislation banning torture.

[Ian David]

20. McCain sucks

[YvonneCa]

18. That's why I trust Senator Kerry...

...so much. I never had any doubt he would oppose ANYONE who couldn't CLEARLY say that torture is wrong. As he said in a Q ans A session a year or so ago, "No torture."

[hatrack]

22. Good! Thank you, Senator!

:toast:

[cali]

23. That's great!

I appreciate Senator Kerry's powerful words. Now we need to get Feingold, Leahy, Feinstein, Kohl and Carper on board. They're the ones that can stop this nomination. I heard Leahy last night on VPR, and from what he said, I'm 95% sure he'll vote against him.

[bigwillq]

25. Thank you Sen. Kerry!

:bounce: