Washblog

I am not going to bother talking about John McCain; he was never an option in my voting plans. The four Democrats on the other hand have, in my opinion, failed a fundamental test of leadership. For those who would suggest that Mukasey was going to be confirmed whether those senators voted or not I offer this: As we have been told so many times since the Democrats were afforded the majority this year, it only takes 41 votes to sustain a filibuster. The final vote to confirm was 53 Aye, 40 Nay, and 7 Not Voting. Do the math. But wait! Do we know how the four senators would have voted? Could their voice in opposition on the floor of the Senate have made a difference with their fellow senators? We will never know - they were not there to lead.

Today Governor Bill Richardson released the following statement:

" "It is shocking that four U.S. Senators running for the Democratic Presidential nomination failed to show up and vote against Judge Mukasey or speak against him during the debate to persuade their fellow Senators that torture is a no-compromise issue.

"Judge Mukasey disqualified himself by refusing to acknowledge what the world has known for centuries: that waterboarding is torture and torture of any kind violates U.S. and international law. Alarmingly, Judge Mukasey already has shown a startling willingness to allow politics to influence his opinion regarding one of the most basic American principles -- human rights.

"The Attorney General is responsible for steadfastly defending the Constitution and implementing the laws of the land, without exception or equivocation. What should have been an easy question to answer-- waterboarding is torture, and torture is illegal-- was not easy for Judge Mukasey, who chose instead to dodge. His actions speak volumes. His answer was unacceptable, and he is unacceptable as the Attorney General of the United States. The Senate could have rejected this nomination with a filibuster. By showing up and speaking out, Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, and Obama might well have stopped his confirmation. Instead, they chose to sit on the sidelines and watch history pass them by.

"Last night, we witnessed a devastating failure of leadership in the fight to take back America, enforce the Constitution, and restore the principles on which this nation was founded.

"This is not what our country needs in its next President.

"Let me be clear: As President, I will ensure that any form of torture, including waterboarding, will never be used. Furthermore, I will direct the Department of Justice to vigorously investigate and prosecute any individual responsible for the use of torture. No one is above the law. No one."

I agree with him.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue