John Edwards for President-Edwards Statement Opposing Mukasey Nomination

Edwards Statement Opposing Mukasey Nomination

Oct 30, 2007 12:22 PM

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, Senator John Edwards released the following statement opposing the nomination of Michael Mukasey to the position of U.S. Attorney General:

"George Bush's political appointees at the Justice Department have twisted the law to justify waterboarding and other interrogation techniques that have long been considered torture. Now the man who is supposed to clean up the Justice Department -- Judge Michael Mukasey -- says he does not know whether waterboarding is torture or not. What more information does he need? Waterboarding was used in the Spanish inquisition and considered a war crime in World War II.

"Mukasey has also said that the president doesn't necessarily have to abide by acts of Congress. We need an Attorney General who will put the rule of law above the administration’s short-term political interests, and Mukasey has already shown that he's unwilling to do that.

"The credibility of Justice Department has been badly tarnished, and it is now clear that Mukasey is not the man to restore it. The Senate should reject his nomination."