Leahy says Mukasey nomination is in trouble

10/31/2007

Bob Kinzel
Vermont Public Radio

Montpelier, Vt.

(Host) Senator Patrick Leahy says the nomination of judge Michael Mukasey as the country's next Attorney General is in a lot of trouble.

According to Leahy, Mukasey won't say whether he believes an interrogation technique known as waterboarding is illegal.

The full Senate Judiciary committee will vote on this nomination next week.

VPRs Bob Kinzel reports:

(Kinzel) Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary committee held two days of hearings on the Mukasey nomination.

When the hearings were over, Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the panel, said he was confused by what Leahy called Mukasey's conflicting testimony concerning the legality of waterboarding - that's an interrogation method that simulates drowning.

So Leahy asked Mukasey to state in writing whether he thinks waterboarding is legal or not.

Leahy has just received Mukasey's response and he says he's disappointed that the nominee didn't have a definite answer:

(Leahy) "I do not agree with him on the waterboarding I think he's giving far too careful an answer my feeling is if we had an American who was picked up and waterboarded we would be screaming bloody murder...I think we ought to make it very clear to the rest of the world we condemn it here he hasn't done that he has some follow up questions I'll look at those but I find it very very disappointing and I think his answer is going to lose him a lot of votes."

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