Attorney General

November 9, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC-Following his vote to oppose the nomination of Michael Mukasey for Attorney General, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement:

“Judge Mukasey is an honorable man who possesses the experience and ability to serve as Attorney General. But I question his ability to be the strong, independent leader that is required now at the Justice Department. He is the nominee of an administration which has too often put politics and ideology ahead of principle and the rule of law.    » read more »

(As Prepared for Delivery)

November 9, 2007 -- "Mr. President, the Department of Justice is in a state of crisis. Under Attorney General Gonzales, it too often served as a rubber stamp for the White House and as a pawn for political gain, rather than as the nation’s guardian of the rule of law. It ignored the law and authorized torture and warrantless surveillance. It let politics drive decisions about who should be prosecuted. It fired U.S. Attorneys who would not go along.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Below is a statement of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) on the Senate’s vote to confirm Judge Michael Mukasey as United States Attorney General:

“Judge Mukasey takes the helm at a time when the Justice Department is in desperate need of leadership and good judgment.

The Attorney General must be someone absolutely committed to upholding the Constitution. He must be someone committed to protecting civil rights and restoring respect for the rule of law, including unequivocally rejecting the use of torture.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – The following are Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) remarks as prepared for delivery on the Senate floor:

Mr. President, I rise today to express my opposition to the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be our next Attorney General.

I thank Chairman Leahy and his committee for working hard to examine the nominee’s record and help us provide the advice and consent required by our Constitution.

I have respect for Judge Mukasey’s background, his dedication to public service, and his reputation as a distinguished jurist and a good man.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Tonight the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General. His nomination comes at a critical time. At this moment in history, America is faced with serious challenges both at home and abroad. We are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and are engaged in a long-term struggle against al Qa’ida and other extremists.    » read more »

Testimony Before the Senate Judiciary Committee

November 6, 2007 -- "Judge Mukasey has a distinguished record of public service and, but for one issue, speaks with clarity on the law. His nomination hinges on that issue: the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners held by our government.

On that issue, the late historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. said this about the Bush Administration’s legal defense of torture: “No position taken has done more damage to the American reputation in the world—ever.”    » read more »

United States Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Session

November 6, 2007 -- (As Prepared for Delivery)    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- "With today’s vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Mukasey’s nomination to be the next Attorney General of the United States now goes to the full Senate for consideration. As I have stated, I oppose Judge Mukasey’s nomination. I believe we need an Attorney General who has the strength to challenge this Administration when it is wrong, who is committed to reestablishing the independence of the Department of Justice and to restoring respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today:

“I was profoundly disturbed by statements Judge Michael Mukasey made during his confirmation hearings concerning executive power, and about the legality of the use of waterboarding as an interrogation technique. As a result, I cannot in good conscience vote to approve his nomination to be Attorney General of the United States.    » read more »

Burlington, Vermont -- November 2, 2007 -- "Nothing is more fundamental to our constitutional democracy than our basic tenet that no one is above the law.

This Administration has undercut that precept time and time again. We have seen this Administration promote immunity over accountability, secrecy over responsiveness to congressional oversight, and unilateral power over the checks and balances that have defined this Nation and protected Americans’ rights and freedom for more than two centuries.    » read more »

November 3, 2007 -- "I will support Judge Michael Mukasey for attorney general.    » read more »

October 31, 2007 -- "The Judiciary Committee has an important hearing today and a full agenda for our previously scheduled meeting tomorrow. I hope we can make progress of these matters. We have a limited time to focus on proposals to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that require our attention for the next several days. We have other executive nominations, a circuit court nomination, corruption legislation, cybercrime legislation, human rights legislation, and courts legislation that Senators have been working on in a bipartisan way for a long time.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- October 31, 2007 -- Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about FISA and the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the Attorney General of the United States during a Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, "FISA Amendments: How to Protect Americans’ Security and Privacy and Preserve the Rule of Law and Government Accountability"

A copy of Senator Specter’s opening statement is pasted below:

Senator Specter:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – The Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement:

"We asked Judge Mukasey a simple and straightforward question: is waterboarding illegal?"

"While this question has been answered clearly by many others -- including John McCain, the Judge Advocates General, and John Warner -- Judge Mukasey spent four pages responding and still didn’t provide an answer."    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- "We need an Attorney General who has the strength to challenge this Administration when it is wrong, who is committed to reestablishing the independence of the Department of Justice and to restoring respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. I am deeply troubled by Judge Mukasey’s continued unwillingness to clearly state his views on torture and unchecked Executive power.    » read more »