DragonFlight

I’m not convinced of the credibility of Schumer’s statement, "The best we can hope for is someone who is independent, has integrity, will put rule of law first and, above all, will clean the stench of politicization out of the Justice Department. I believe Judge Mukasey will be that type of Attorney General.” I’d be more inclined to believe it if Mukasey had voiced the opinion before Congress that waterboarding was torture, and therefore already against the law, without the need to have Congress pass another law to that effect.

When will this government start enforcing the laws we already have, without the need to pass new ones? And lest we forget, this is all about getting the president off the hook. He has said, "The United States doesn't torture," but he has allowed waterboarding. Technically he has already broken the law, and is now looking for another law to be passed giving him immunity after the fact. Sound familiar? How often is Congress going to be asked to pass legislation to immunize actions already committed by entities such as the White House, Blackwater, and the telephone companies?

In answer to Schumer's fear that if he were rejected, “it is almost certain that an acting, "caretaker" attorney general will take office without the advice and consent of the Senate,” I say that should be unacceptable. Congress needs to stand fast and not allow a "caretaker" attorney general. If push comes to shove and the president will not nominate a candidate acceptable to the Senate, they should hold him in contempt, and if necessary impeach him and the horse he rode in on, namely a man called Cheney. Enough is enough. Impeachment at least has the appeal of sending a message to the rest of the world that all Americans haven't just gone insane. It might also send the imperialistic Neocons back to whatever hole they crawled out of. Footnote: Kucinich mentioned impeachment three times during the last Democrat debate, and I myself haven't heard the media mention it once.

This “my way or the highway / you are with us or you are against us / decider“ president has shown no effort in seven long years to compromise on anything, nothing, nada, and I see no reason at this point to not return the favor. This nation is supposed to belong to "all" the people, not just the president, Congress, or the very powerful! The vast majority of citizens may not be capable of governing; that is why the Founding Fathers set up a Republic in which the people are supposed to have their interests fairly represented.

These are strong words I know. I have always liked Senator Schumer, and supported Senator Feinstein, but I repeat, enough is enough. It's time for the gloves to come off. I fear that if they don't, and soon, this nation is in danger of becoming unrecognizable as the great nation it should be and always has been. Our government consists of three separate and equal branches. It was never meant to become the plaything of the Executive Branch, especially such a bad one!

I didn’t care much for Feinstein’s rationale that Mukasey “isn’t Roberto Gonzales” or that he is “the best we are going to get." Personally I’d rather not have an Attorney General for the rest of Bush’s term than to have one who won’t simply tell it as it is under oath, and not be afraid of getting or losing a job. Having no Attorney General would have been better than having Roberto Gonzales, who left such small shoes to be filled.

Considering that it looks like Judge Michael Mukasey could very well be the new Attorney General, I hope I am 100% wrong! I really want to see this nation get back on the right track.