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Senate confirms deputy attorney general |
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By J. Taylor Rushing
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Posted: 03/03/08 06:33 PM [ET] |
The Senate confirmed Mark R. Filip by voice vote as Attorney General Michael Mukasey's second-in-command, providing incremental progress in the ongoing standoff between the White House and the Senate over confirmations.
A midday discussion Monday between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten led to the mini-breakthrough, with Bolten pledging to improve the process from the administration's end and Reid allowing the vote on Filip "as a sign of good faith," said Reid spokesman Rodell Mollineau.
Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois had briefly placed a hold over the confirmation last month as part of an effort to force more disclosure and investigations of the Bush administration's interrogation policies.
Filip, a Chicago federal judge, replaces former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, whose resignation followed that of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during last year's controversy over U.S. attorney firings.
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