Bush Settles on Mukasey to Replace Gonzales

WAPOST ^ | Sunday, September 16, 2007; 5:02 PM | Michael Abramowitz and Dan Eggen

[paltz]

President Bush has settled on retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, two sources familiar with the decision said Sunday.

The appointment of Mukasey, 66, considered a law-and-order conservative and authority on national security issues, could come as early as Monday morning, the sources said.

[tiredoflaundry]

Besides the fact Judge Mukasey is a “New Yorker”, what does Guilani have to do with it?

Honest q, because I really do not know.

[freespirited]

Amazing. This is just what I predicted last night. Schumer’s prior enthusiam for Mukasey makes no sense to me, and I said last night to wagglebee that I would not be surprised if the lowlife ends up withdrawing his support for him.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1897527/posts?q=1&;page=53

[Chuck54]

Hold off a few and let Stewpot get his act together.

He just joined today to espouse those profound statements.

:)

[tiredoflaundry]

otay panky ! :0)

[Arcy]

This sounds like a wimp out.

You're right! This is a "wimp out". You see, Bush, in his ever increasing desire to have some sort of legacy, continues to seek approval from those who would prefer his demise. It's totally irrational on Bush's part. But then again, Bush has made a pattern of ignoring those who put him into office in the first place. He remains in contempt as he continues to refuse to uphold his oath of protecting this country by protecting its borders. In a "back-room" deal, he opened up this country's roads to trucks coming in from below the border and allowing those trucks to proceed without inspection.

I for one have approached the line of calling for Bush's impeachment on this count alone! He has proved to be a disaster in his second term. His legacy will read..."He promised toughness, he delivered weakness. He promised to protect but instead he surrendered."

[apocalypto]

I thought Rudolph Giulian recommended Judge Mukasey, that they had a previous association.

[tiredoflaundry]

Thanks for the info. :0)

[tobyhill]

The only thing this AG should do for the next 16 months is prosecute all MSM and Government traitors who have leaked classified information that has harmed our war efforts. Drag the damn reporters to jail until they fess up about who the leakers are.

[kevinm13]

I will hold judgment about Judge Michael B. Mukasey as AG-Select. I give him some credit as President Bush’s nominee although I am very unsure about Chuckie Cheese Schumer not opposing him. Generally, I am opposed to anything Chuckie agrees with.

[Texas Federalist]

I give him some credit as President Bush’s nominee although I am very unsure about Chuckie Cheese Schumer not opposing him. Generally, I am opposed to anything Chuckie agrees with.

Schumer did more than not oppose him. He actively lobbyed for him to be nominated to the Supreme Court.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I think the headline writer got it 100% correct when he chose the verb “settles.”

[Carry_Okie]

Given that Bush could have made a recess appointment that would have lasted until the very end of his term anyway, I view this as yet another back-stabbing move by our stealth liberal President. Thompson supporters take note.

That means that Parker v. DC could well be what is really at issue here. Given the Schumer is happy and that this guy worked for Giuliani, who at best has a very strained understanding of the original intent of the Constitution, this development is most concerning.

[jwalsh07]

"Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is said to have told his American captors that he wanted a lawyer and would see them in court. If the Supreme Court rules -- in a case it has agreed to hear relating to Guantanamo detainees -- that foreigners in U.S. custody enjoy the protection of our Constitution regardless of the place or circumstances of their apprehension, this bold joke could become a reality." Judge Michael Mukasey

Seems as though his head is screwed on right.

[montag813]

Wrong, a recess appointment is only valid for seven months.

They are based around terms of Congress. If Bush lets Clement continue to serve as interim AG, he can then appoint Olson in January and he will serve until the next Congress is sworn in. Frankly, I don't see why Bush doesn't just leave Clement in place. He is a good man, and at 41 would make an excellent SCOTUS choice in case Ginsberg or Stevens retire early or drop dead.

[sanjacjake]

You are so right...Olsen is the guy..but GWB is taking
the wimp road..again. Schumer, Reid, etc. come out and
trash someone and Bush backs off...hell...let’ fight these
Senators that think they are the last word on the
process...I have lost so much respect for Bush because of
his obvious ineptness that it makes me ill to think
about it....I won’t go into it...but how logical it is,
and was, for anyone to see...that Afghanistan was the
place to settle in and make a model area for our needs,
and pursue Bin laden..take care of Saddam without any
troops being killed (the past 4 years)....and our strength
of our Military would be growing instead of declining
because of the situation in Iraq. CIA could have been a
key player in the whole scenario...JK

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I don't know what they have to say
It makes no difference anyway
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it!
Your proposition may be good
But let's have one thing understood:
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
And even when you've changed it or condensed it, I'm against it!
For months before my son was born
I used to yell from night till morn:
Whatever it is, I'm against it!
And I've kept yelling since I've first commenced it, I'm against it.

[DoughtyOne]

Bush is looking more and more like the sheriff who couldn’t shoot straight.

[tumblindice]

From the NR article: “It (the office of attorney general) must enforce our laws without fear or favor.”

Including, while certainly not limited to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sup_01_8.html
Particularly:
The Congress makes the following statements concerning national policy with respect to welfare and immigration:
(1) Self-sufficiency has been a basic principle of United States immigration law since this country’s earliest immigration statutes.
(2) It continues to be the immigration policy of the United States that—
(A) aliens within the Nation’s borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs, but rather rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their families, their sponsors, and private organizations, and
(B) the availability of public benefits not constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States.
(3) Despite the principle of self-sufficiency, aliens have been applying for and receiving public benefits from Federal, State, and local governments at increasing rates.
(4) Current eligibility rules for public assistance and unenforceable financial support agreements have proved wholly incapable of assuring that individual aliens not burden the public benefits system.
(5) It is a compelling government interest to enact new rules for eligibility and sponsorship agreements in order to assure that aliens be self-reliant in accordance with national immigration policy.
(6) It is a compelling government interest to remove the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.

Hey there, DREAM-boat! No, not you nightmare . . .

[Cicero]

Mukasey may be a fine jurist, but it is supremely important for any president to control his AG spot. That’s why JFK put his brother in, and that’s why clinton chose an idiot like Janet Reno, because he knew she would be loyal to him no matter how many scandals broke.

If Bush gets any weaker, and if the loony faction of the Dems gains more momentum, he could be extremely sorry that he put someone into this spot whose loyalty cannot be counted on.

[ventanax5]

Why is what Sen. Schumer and Nan Aron say any more relevant than that President Reagan thought highly enough of Judge Mukasey to put him on the bench? And while I haven’t frankly been interested enough to inform myself about Nan Aron’s views, what Sen. Schumer has said is that Judge Muksaey is a conservative lawyer who puts the rule of law first. That happens to be true. Schumer hasn’t said he sees eye-to-eye with Mukasey on every issue — or even, perhaps, most issues. He has, instead, indicated that he believes Mukasey is a brilliant, honest guy who would carry out the business of the Justice Department with competence, fairness and integrity. That also happens to be true. Something is not wrong just because Senator Schumer says it.

And what would our reaction be if Democrats were lining up against the Judge for no better reason than that he was a Reagan appointee? We’d be screaming bloody murder.

My suggestion is that regardless of what Schumer, Aron, Reagan, Kristol, I or anyone else thinks/thought of Mike Mukasey, the best way to judge the Judge is by his own words, which people can read, for example, here and here — in addition to about a zillion published opinions.

This is not a hard call.