by James Oliphant
The upcoming confirmation hearings for Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey has taken on some added drama in the wake of today's New York Times report concerning secret Justice Department memos authorizing the use of abusive interrogation techniques.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today that Mukasey's nomination has been "encumbered" because of the Bush administration's refusal to provide details about its activities to Congress.
In a statement, Leahy said "the Department of Justice secretly endorsed combinations of the harshest interrogation tactics as legal -- after telling us and the world that torture is abhorrent. After leading us and the American people to believe that they had withdrawn the infamous Bybee memo, it appears that under Attorney General Gonzales they reversed themselves and reinstated a secret regime by, in essence, reinterpreting the law in secret."
Leahy said he hopes to meet with Mukasey on Oct. 16. If that occurs, Leahy said the hearings could begin as early as the following day.
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Comments
"it appears that under Attorney General Gonzales they reversed themselves and reinstated a secret regime by, in essence, reinterpreting the law in secret."
Sounds like standard operating procedure for this administration.
I mean, what could POSSIBLY be more American than "reintepreting" questionable laws in secret? And by "reinterpret," I'm thinking its probably more like "turn it on its head."
Posted by: Distrust and Verify | October 4, 2007 12:52 PM
"BUSH PLAYS RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH CONGRESS"
George Bush is rolling the dice and should wind up in the impeachment meat grinder if CONGRESS DOESN'T ROLL OVER AND GIVE HIM RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY. HE DOESN'T DESERVE IT.
There is nothing AT&T and Verizon Wireless had to hide in a time of war! The american people would have understood if there was proven actionable intelligence. IF AND I KNOW DEFINING IF WOULD TAKE ABOUT 60 MILLION DOLLARS AND KEN STARR!
IF IT WAS TO MAKE US MORE SAFER NO BIGGIE, BUT IT WAS ONLY TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW. 666 billion dollars in the whole in Iraq and about 1 trillion dollars in the hole as a MILITARY! AND NO SBILL 1639. NO RENDERED MEXICAN SLAVES TO CORNER AND ENSLAVE.
SO hopefully this Congress unlike the last Congress will not let him off the hook with a I TOLD YOU SO!
NOW WATCH THIS SWING!
Posted by: Roger Morris | October 4, 2007 1:14 PM
"In a statement, Leahy said 'the Department of Justice secretly endorsed combinations of the harshest interrogation tactics as legal...'"
"The harshest"? Is Sen Leahy willing to take a wager on that one? Yes, head slapping, etc., is not the most humane way to extract information. And I'm sure it hurts those to whom it is being applied. But historically speaking, methinks the senator more than slightly exaggerates the severity.
Posted by: JB | October 4, 2007 3:44 PM