Dianne Feinstein describes Mukasey as a man that is “well-steeped in national security law.” If that’s true then why doesn’t he know if waterboarding is torture? via CNN’s Late Edition on Sunday:
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Blitzer: When you both announced on Friday you will support the confirmation of Michael Mukasey to be the next attorney general, that effectively guaranteed that he’ll not only get out of the committee but eventually will be confirmed as the attorney general. Even though he’s taking what some are calling a wishy-washy position on waterboarding or torture, why do you believe he should be confirmed?
Feinstein: Well, first of all, because he is a bright, independent figure. Well-steeped in national security law, presided over some of those trials. In the 172 pages of written questions and answers, the independence of thought comes through.
He’s not going to wear two hats like Gonzales did. He’ll wear one hat, and that will be an independent attorney general for a department which right now, today, is in disarray. Twenty-three out of 93 U.S. attorneys are not filled with permanent confirmed U.S. attorneys. The 10 top positions are vacant.
What I believe this president would do if Mukasey was — failed to be confirmed was put in an acting, also make recess appointments. That would bring about diminished transparency, diminished Congressional oversight and would not be for the benefit of the department. So this is a strong independent figure. I’d be happy to talk about my views on torture, if you want.
We’re only interested in what Mukasey’s views on torture are, Dianne. He’s the one trying to get confirmed here. And if they don’t match up to your view on waterboarding then why did you push his nomination through? Sigh…Then she goes on to quiver at the thought of what George Bush might do if he doesn’t get his way. Mr. 24% is making her nervous.
What the heck is wrong with these people? She actually used the term “diminished transparency,” and “diminished Congressional oversight” to describe what might happen in the Justice department if Bush had a hissy fit…Isn’t that what we’ve had since Bush and Cheney took office? I could go on, but what would be the point. Please contact her and let her know (It does help) this is not acceptable:
Washington Office:
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0504
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Main District Office:
One Post Street, Suite 245
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 393-0707
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, D-R.I.: Is waterboarding constitutional?
MICHAEL MUKASEY, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE: I don’t know what’s involved in the technique. If waterboarding is torture, torture is not constitutional.
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Mush for Brains
Twofer? Frist
I think someone must be blackmailing our Democrat “leadership.”
I don’t think it’s blackmail. I think it’s pure unadulterated greed.
I’ve called twice and written, but this is ridiculous.
Time to go Dianne, we’re gonna find you a challenger.
Why does she so look like a used car salesman here?
Just more spin and lies from a prominent Democrat TURNCOAT!!
I have a recommendation for DiFi, retirement. You are just another tired political hack not doing the job. Get lost.
I hope Californians find a good challenger against “kitty cat face.”
..love the suit.
any notion that muky will be an independent AG was thrown out the window when it came to his BS over waterboarding. he knows what it is, and instead of being “indep” he decided to use his pseudo-prestige to protect the president. DiFi knows this, she is just trying to cover her ass.
DiFi and schumer have proven, again, that they deserve to be thrown out of office.
I would say that they are DINOs, but it appears that the dems have decided that being republican-lite is the definition of democrat.
It’s more complicated than the left wants to make it out to be. If the guy declares waterboarding as defacto torture then he opens the Bush administration up for legal prosecution. Let’s face it, that’s not going to happen. Never ever in a million years will the dems gain from such a strategy. DiFi is being pragmatic, which is a concept that the left has a lot of trouble comprehending.
She’s not afraid. She’s an accomplice. And what’s all this crap about Mukasey being a strong independent figure? He will be because she SAYS SO? No, Dianne, we have to go by what HE says, not by your feelings on the matter. Geez! Your constituency is not a bunch of neo-con retards, lady. Or….are they? I can’t even tell anymore.
That’s all, Dianne; you have lost my vote and anybody I know who I can inform of your recent record.
It’s also people like you that have me laughing at national Democratic groups that call me on the phone and ask for my hard earned money. I make individual contributions to people who I think still have a crumb of credibility left and that’s it (Hint: you ain’t one of ‘em).
By the way, Marge Simpson wants her suit jacket back. Get that lavender dye cleaned out of it and give it back, please.
Mukasey’s bright and independent? Wasn’t he at a committee hearing or show & tell?
Yo Dianne, an Alanon meeting can help you deal with the anxiety about what a drunk may or may not do. Ass!
Time for that senile old bitch to resign.
Ah, so she is saying that his Bush Bootlicking in the committee hearings was just him paying lip service to them that brought him to the dance. (rolls eyes)
pete moss @ 10:
She can be pragmatic all she wants; I get that. What I would respect is if she stated the situation the same way you just did. It’s the bullshitting I can’t stand. Well…then why do I even pay attention to what any politician has to say? I just touche`d myself. Ah well…..
i really dont think it helps anything but our own consciences…ol’ madame bechtel aint gonna pay any attention.
I am so sick of the old and infirm being placed in positions of power.
After 60 they ALL should be subject to outside psychological review and CAT/MRI scans for abnormalities.
Perhaps even get a pshyc profile made up before they take the oath of office and make a comparative analysis as they progress.
To let those with dementia rule a nation with as many weapons as this one has is insane.
I am SO voting her out of office…
i didn’t want to believe it but i guess it’s true:
she represents the aipac. not californina. not america.
(10) pete moss-
i respectfully, and strenuously, disagree.
pragmatic about…. torture? hmmmm.
had DiFi and schumer not supported muky he would not have been confirmed. yet they did. and now we will have an AG that uses his position to protect Bush. you might think that is a good strategy, but others do not.
i do agree with you that this dud would not sell bush down the river, because he is a compromised man, but to somehow then reach the conclusion that he is thus a good choice for the AG is not “pragmatism” it is irresponsibility.
That Mukasey is needed to ‘fix’ the Justice Dept. is a lie. The Justice Dept. isn’t broken because Alberto Gonzales was a terrible AG, it is broken because Bush/Cheney wanted it broken. You can’t address fixing the Justice Dept. without addressing Bush/Cheney. So their justification for voting for Mukasey is totally false and they know it.
Liberals need to start realizing that the Dems treat liberals the way Repubs treat social conservatives. We’re just means to an end.
Her justification is basically: I am afraid that the Shrub is much smarter than us and will outmaneuver even worse in the future with a recess appointment, so we’ll play the gullible fools yet again for now and give him another wingnut nomination.
Great. We are stuck with the idiot Feinstein until she retires.
pete moss @ 10:
Um, I’m just a moose, so please explain to me how having the AG pursue criminal activity in the Exuctive Branch doesn’t benefit the nation, and why the Democrats wouldn’t benefit from having said criminality brought to light?
did difi have anything to say about her husband’s awesomely generous defense contracts.
didn’t think so.
thanks for posting this- it is absurd and horrendous that she did this…and what are Shumer’s “reasonings”…..we are talking about torture…lordy…
don’t waste your time emailing unless you are in CA, they send you a polite “screw off” if your zip doesn’t match.
Instead, perhaps you will hear this? You are a traitor now, and are obstructing justice, involved in a criminal conspiracy to spy on americans, you are a war criminal for allowing funding to come to a vote without saying no. Perhaps the people of your state will retire you, and then imprison you for crimes against them and the people of this nation. You are a thoughtless stooge paid off by companies that have more to offer than your paycheck from the American people. What kind of human scum are you anyway? You are a self serving republican thug and we can only hope the frog walk you do is for crimes that will prevent you from lobbying for your favorite charity, yourself.
pete moss @ 10:
So now supporting torture is pragmatism? And, it doesn’t matter if this guy says it is not torture, our laws do. Remember the JAGs? Here is a link to their letter to refresh your memory.
I’ll wager she’s going to retire at the end of this term. Stay tuned.
Feinstein’s arguments remind me of when GW tried to get his choice for the Supreme Court, Harriet Myers, through the nomination process, by telling the Religious Wrong with a wink and a nod that Harriet was “on our side.”
Yeah, right.
Oh, ye of little faith–just wait until the Democrats activate their secret plan. You’ll all be sorry you ever doubted.
personally, i don’t think it makes one bit of difference if you call. they have an agenda and we are not a part of it. the only thing to do is vote them out of office when the time comes.
pete moss @ 10:
Pragmitism to you is letting criminals go free then is what you’ve just said. Figures.
Disgusting. That DINO douchebag can go to hell.
20 joe cantwell Says:
I agree, you cant(very)well.
This is inane at best, aiding and abeting at worst. Of course, Bush would make a recess appointment, but it’s better for Bush to take the low road than Congress.
dumbstruck @ 2:
I think this is proof positive that the warrantless eavesdropping is aimed at political rivals more than terrorists.
It couldn’t be clearer except to spineless sell-outs like DiFi. If he won’t say waterboarding is torture, no way is he independent, bright or intelligent. He’s just another water-carrying spokesmodel for Chimpy & Darth’s Just Us Dept.
What do you expect? Her husband is making money hand over fist from this war and she is benefitting from the profits he is reaping, which is a strong reason why she has helped provide everything Bush needs to keep everything going strong. With Democrats like her, you don’t need Republicans. She should be under investigation for ethics violations and kicked out, but the Dems are so afraid to lose their precious balance in Congress without bothering to think that if she does not vote with them on the major issues - it hardly makes her relevant to anyone but Bush and the neocons. Get rid of her!
Bought and payed for she is.
I guess it’s true…people get delusional when they get old.
Another Dem siding with the 24%-ers. Hoyer credits surge with quelling violence in Iraq
Feintsein, Pelosi, Hoyer. Reality is setting in that 24% is a whole lot higher than 11%.
pete moss @ 10:
What, are you an idiot!
This country is based on the rule of law.
At least it is supposed to be.
That means it doesn’t matter if the Dems gain or lose from this, they are hired to make sure that the rule of law prevails and that the Constitution is defended.
By explicitly OKing torture in this manner they have tacitly agreed that the US is a rogue nation and that the Constitution has been supplanted by a defacto dictatorship..
Pragmatism has NOTHING to do with this, this is treasonous action in direct violation of the oaths of office that these 2 scum suckers took.
He isn’t bright or intelligent. Laws stating waterboarding is torture have been on the books in this country for about 100 years. He claims he can’t comment because he doesn’t know the details of waterboarding. Well, as a bright lawyer, I expect him to research legal decisions on the matter. There is plenty of legal decisions on the subject at hand going all the way back to the Spanish-American war. A bright, independent lawyer would do his homework.
But, we all know that he knows what waterboarding is and what the law says about it. Which makes him a liar, and if he conformed, a criminal.
He is bright, independent, and smells of cinnamon and unicorns and daisies.
We don’t need a third party in this country. We need a second party.
What part of the word Independent is confusing here, he’s clearly NOT vs. IS!
Mr. 24% would put in??????
Auntie Em! Oh Auntie Em, where are you?
He’s also a personal friend of one Rudolph Giuliani
oldtree @ 27:
They also send you a polite “screw off” if it DOES match!
DiFi reasoning
because Mr. 24% will not nominate an independent AG (his responsibility), we will give up our responsibility (ensuring an independent AG).
Yeah, that works in shitontheconstitution land!
You’re a putz, Dianne… a stupid, likes-to-be-lied-to idiot! They must have some really incriminating stuff on you, huh?! Why do you call yourself a Democrat? I think you’re Joe Lieberman’s best friend…
End the incumbentocracy!!!