Biden To Oppose Mukasey For Attorney General
By Greg Sargent - October 30, 2007, 6:24PM
It just gets worse and worse for Mukasey. Senator Joe Biden, who earlier had said that he'd give Michael Mukasey a chance to clarify his views on waterboarding, has just announced that he's coming out against Mukasey's confirmation -- meaning that all four Dem Senators running for President now are blocking Mukasey's path to the AG's office.
Biden indicated his opposition in a new statement just out from his office in response to Mukasey's refusal this afternoon to clarify whether waterboarding is illegal.
“Waterboarding is by any standard, torture," Biden said. "We need to send a clear message that torture, inhumane, and degrading treatment of detainees is unacceptable and is not permitted by U.S. law. Period. We cannot have a United States Attorney General who will equivocate and dissemble on this matter. Too much is at stake.”
In addition to Biden, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Chris Dodd all stand opposed to Mukasey, as does John Edwards. Biden's full statement after the jump.I am disappointed by Judge Mukasey’s response. He was asked a direct question on the specifics of waterboarding and he refused to unequivocally state that this practice is torture. For this reason, I shall oppose his nomination to be the United States Attorney General.
“Waterboarding is by any standard, torture. I called on my colleagues today to support legislation I introduced this summer banning waterboarding and other forms of torture. When we use torture or other cruel and inhumane treatment of detainees, we diminish our ability to argue that the same techniques should not be used against our own troops. We need to send a clear message that torture, inhumane, and degrading treatment of detainees is unacceptable and is not permitted by U.S. law. Period. We cannot have a United States Attorney General who will equivocate and dissemble on this matter. Too much is at stake.”
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/biden_to_oppose_mukasey_for_attorney_general.phpPS;
Two weeks later, Feinstein was one of two Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee to vote to send Michael Mukasey's nomination to be the new attorney general to the full Senate. Her support helped turn the tide in favor of a nomination that faced an uncertain future after Mukasey refused to say whether waterboarding was torture.
When the full Senate voted, Feinstein was one of only six Democrats to vote in favor of confirming Mukasey.The committee's 11 to 8 vote in favor of Mukasey was accompanied by an impassioned exchange of views between his supporters and opponents, who divided principally over of his refusal to say whether an aggressive interrogation tactic that mimics drowning amounts to illegal torture under U.S. law.
Two prominent Democrats, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), joined nine Republicans in voting for Mukasey, arguing that the former federal judge was the best candidate they could expect as the Bush administration's replacement for Alberto R. Gonzales, who resigned as attorney general in September under a cloud of scandal. By the way, you're talking about the FULL senate vote, which Dodd also missed. Joe Biden is on the The Judiciary Committee, which is the ones who confifrm. Diane Feinstein is tesponsible for Mukasey being confirmed, no one else. She joined the republicans.
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