Three cheers!
“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.”
Let’s hope that Kerry, who isn’t on the Judiciary Committee, doesn’t even have the opportunity to make good on his promise — if the Committee dings Mukasey, that’s it for his nomination.
UPDATE: Senator Kennedy, who is on the JudComm, has announced that he too will vote “no.” Excellent news.
Well said, Senator.
(No harm in counting votes now)
http://news.yahoo.co…
…so his position is even more critical than Kerry’s. I don’t think he’s indicated how he’ll vote.
[see link above] and kudos for pointing out that he’s on the committee.
the racist homophobe was voted through.
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Not necessarily. Remember, Bork’s nomination failed in committee but made it to the floor anyway, where it ultimately failed.
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As I understand it, Sen. Reid will make the decision whether to send the nomination to the floor if it fails in the committee. What’s his view?
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TedF
the committee voted to send Bork’s nomination to the floor, but with a recommendation that it be rejected. But I’m not expert enough in the arcane rules of the Senate to know whether a committee vote not to send the nomination to the floor can be overridden by Reid.
It only took them three weeks to figure out that torture was a no -no although it appears it took more arm twising to bring them around than anyone could have imagined. Brilliant … Such breathtaking action.
so the vote should take 5 or 10 minutes.
With all the major concerns that these clowns should be addressing, I wonder what they will be doing with the other 23 3/4 hours in the day or for that matter the rest of the days in the month or months in the year …
Bahhhhh!!!
It’s more complicated than that
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First, Bush did send them someone who seemed more independent than the average Harriet Miers style appointee.
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Being fair-minded people (and fair-minded people who are often accused of rank partisanship), they wanted to make certain that he was unacceptable. Note how he tried to weasel out of it. “That abhorrent!” he cried, but he never so much as whispered “That’s illegal.” He even tried to claim ignorance about water boarding. So they sent him information.
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They were wrestling with an eel.
The other problem is those centrist Democrats who are scared spitless that the mean Republicans will run attack ads against them and so they tend to cave on votes just like this. Unfortunately for us in the Bay State, the problem Senators in this regard are pretty far away — not counting Lieberman.
TPM has the votes.
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Kennedy – No
Biden – No
Durbin – No
Whitehouse (Sheldon) – No
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Schumer – undecided
Leahy – undecided
Feinstein – undecided
Finegold – undecided
Cardin – undecided
Kohl – undecided
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Specter – undecided
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Brownback – Yes
Coburn – Yes
Cornyn – Yes
Graham -Yes
Grassley – Yes
Hagel – Yes
Kyl – Yes
Sessions – Yes
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So we need 6 out of the 7 undecideds.
Ted Kennedy:
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Against simulating drowning, for real drowning.
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Mary Jo Kopechne, 1940-1969