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President Bush Saturday urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Michael Mukasey, his choice to lead the Department of Justice, after it became clear this week that the nominee would likely receive enough support in a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday. “This is the kind of leader America needs to head the Department of Justice at this important moment in our history,” said Bush, who has spent much time this week touting Mukasey and pressing the Senate on the confirmation. While several committee Democrats had voiced doubts about Mukasey, the nomination appeared to head toward the panel’s approval Friday when Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) released statements saying they would support Mukasey. Getting through committee is seen as the largest hurdle remaining in the confirmation process. Opposition had grown to Mukasey because of his refusal to explicitly state that waterboarding, an aggressive interrogation technique that simulates drowning, constitutes torture. Five committee Democrats, including chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), announced that they planned to vote against Mukasey. In his weekly radio address, Bush said lawmakers could not expect Mukasey to comment on the secret interrogation program for terrorist suspects. “Congressional leaders should not make Judge Mukasey's confirmation dependent on his willingness to make a public judgment about a classified program he has not been briefed on,” said the president. With Feinstein and Schumer’s planned “yes” votes, Republicans on the committee are expected to sign off as well. Along with committee Democrats, the party’s Senate leadership and the chamber’s four presidential candidates have opposed Mukasey’s nomination. “With Judge Mukasey serving as attorney general, our national security team will be stronger — and the Senate should confirm this good man as quickly as possible,” said Bush. |
