Mukasey Wins Vote in Senate, Despite Doubts ( NY Times has reservations )

The New York Times ^ | November 9, 2007 | CARL HULSE

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 — The Senate confirmed Michael B. Mukasey as attorney general Thursday night, approving him despite Democratic criticism that he had failed to take an unequivocal stance against the torture of terrorism detainees.

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Susan Etheridge for The New York Times

Michael B. Mukasey

The Vote in the Senate

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The 53-to-40 vote made Mr. Mukasey, a former federal judge, the third person to head the Justice Department during the tenure of President Bush, placing him in charge of an agency that members of both parties say suffered under the leadership of Alberto R. Gonzales.

Six Democrats joined 46 Republicans and one independent in approving the judge, with his backers praising him as a strong choice to restore morale at the Justice Department and independently oversee federal prosecutions in the final months of the Bush administration.

Thirty-nine Democrats and one independent opposed him.

“The Department of Justice needs Judge Mukasey at work tomorrow morning,” said Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee. “The Department of Justice has been categorized as dysfunctional and in disarray. It is in urgent need of an attorney general.”

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From the Blogosphere (CQ):

Mukasey Confirmed

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The Senate stayed up past its bedtime last night to struggle with the confirmation for a man Democrats pushed as a "consensus candidate" for Attorney General. Instead of a smooth start to Judge Michael Mukasey's short tenure as the head of the Department of Justice, the Democrats turned the vote into a bitter partisan contest -- and still lost:

A divided Senate narrowly confirmed former federal judge Michael B. Mukasey last night as the 81st attorney general, giving the nominee the lowest level of congressional support of any Justice Department leader in the past half-century.

The 53 to 40 vote came after more than four hours of impassioned floor debate, and it reflected an effort by Democrats to register their displeasure with Bush administration policies on torture and the boundaries of presidential power.

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From CQ the Highlight......see link above:

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Yet the Senate wants the AG to enforce laws Congress has not passed, which would be a rather obvious and objectionable expansion of executive power at the expense of the judiciary.

[Argus]

Given a choice between having to sit still while a bloated hypocrite like Patrick Leahy blathers on about “torture”, and actually being waterboarded, I think I’d just go with the latter. It’s over faster.

[basil]

I have heard rumors that I have not been able to substantiate, that this guy is very anti 2A. Has anyone else heard that? I think it has something to do with this guy being a favorite of both Diane Feinstein and Chucky Schummer.

[therut]

Nope check out Volokh Conspiracy. Durbin stated one of the reasons he voted aganist him is he believes from his studying and reading the 2nd amendment protects an INDIVIDUAL right.

[basil]

Thanks—that’s good to hear.