Michael Mukasey

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 »

11/01/2007 -- 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.    » 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 »

Oct 30, 2007 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, Senator John Edwards released the following statement opposing the nomination of Michael Mukasey to the position of U.S. Attorney General:    » 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 »

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued the following statement on his opposition to Judge Michael Mukasey’s nomination as attorney general:

“After the dismal performance of the last attorney general, I had hoped that Judge Michael Mukasey would represent a badly-needed change in direction for the Justice Department and the nation. But his testimony before the Senate was stunning.    » read more »

Biden to Oppose Mukasey Nomination; Reiterates Call on Colleagues to Support his Legislation Banning Waterboarding and Other Forms of Torture

October 30, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) issued the following statement today after Judge Michael Mukasey responded to a request for clarification regarding his evasive testimony on waterboarding:    » read more »

09/17/2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.-- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today issued the following statement on President Bush's nomination of Michael Mukasey as the next Attorney General of the United States:    » read more »

Sep 17, 2007 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement in response to the announcement by President Bush that he will nominate Michael Mukasey to the fill the office of attorney general:

"The Justice Department's reputation has been terribly tarnished by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and the Bush administration's disregard for the law and its partisan influence over law enforcement. Now more than ever, all Americans would agree that it's time for new leadership at the Justice Department.    » read more »

September 17, 2007 -- The Judiciary Committee will approach consideration of this nomination in a serious and deliberate fashion. The Administration took months determining that a change in leadership was needed at the Department of Justice and then the President spent several weeks before making his nomination public. Our focus now will be on securing the relevant information the Committee needs to proceed to schedule fair and thorough hearings.    » read more »

September 17, 2007 -- “The Judiciary Committee will approach consideration of the nomination of an Attorney General in a serious and deliberate fashion. The Administration took months determining that a change in leadership was needed at the Department of Justice and then the President spent several weeks before making a nomination. Our focus now will be on securing the relevant information we need so we can proceed to schedule fair and thorough hearings. Cooperation from the White House will be essential in determining that schedule.    » read more »

September 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) issued the following statement on President Bush’s nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General:

"We need to bring law and order back to the Justice Department. Judge Mukasey's nomination appears to be a step in the right direction. We need an Attorney General who can make decisions independent of the White House. That's the type of Attorney General I'll be looking for during the upcoming confirmation hearings."

Source: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg