Brodner's Person of the Day: Michael B. Mukasey

Illustration and Text By Steve Brodner

October 18, 2007

Michael B. Mukasey, attorney general nominee, who testified before the Senate yesterday. He made a few statements that gave the mainstream press cause for a sigh of relief. The fine print is bad, however. He essentially supported warrantless wiretapping, indefinite detention, torture, and the continued use of Gitmo. He condemned the Bybee memo advocating torture but would not discuss the recent memos advocating waterboarding, chaining to floors, freezing, etc. This morning Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, appeared on Democracy Now! He quoted Mukasey, "'What you characterize as torture I do not know of such a policy.'' The question is, where is this guy living? Is he an ostrich?"

PS: From Ratner again: When Mukasey was a NY judge, a Palestinian dressed in an orange jumpsuit was brought before him claiming to be tortured in U.S. custody. Mukasey said, "He looks fine to me."

Democrats need to wake up and smell the torture.