Political Quotes

“the Senate is now taking up the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the next Attorney General of the United States. It is a nomination which has become controversial. Judge Mukasey has served his country in many different ways. He served as a Federal judge before he retired, then went into private practice and was summoned to serve as Attorney General by this President. I had a chance to meet with him personally in my office. One cannot help but be impressed by the man's intelligence and erudition. He clearly is a person of strongly held beliefs and it takes little time to appreciate that when you meet him. I left, after meeting him in my office, believing his nomination hearings would be interesting, and they were. On the first day, Judge Mukasey was a great witness, saying things that needed to be said about his plans to change the Department of Justice from the days of Alberto Gonzales, about his feeling of responsibility to the country not to abide by any decisions made by the President that were inconsistent with the law or the Constitution. He went so far as to say he would resign before he would allow that to occur. I can recall speaking to my colleagues, including Senator Schumer, who sat next to me in the Judiciary Committee, and saying: What a breath of fresh air, how refreshing that he would be so candid and forthright. After all the years of Alberto Gonzales dodging questions, refusing to answer, here was a man who answered the questions.”