2008 Woodie Awards
Mukasey: the safe choice
Chris Stroud
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Forum
- Page 1 of 2 next >
On Monday, President Bush ducked a protracted confirmation battle with the Senate by nominating Michael Mukasey for Attorney General instead of conservative favorite Ted Olsen. Mukasey is a former federal judge from New York who presided over the 1995 trial of the Blind Sheik and eleven co-defendants in the 1993 bombing of the World trade Center.
Ted Olsen is a Republican lawyer who argued before the Supreme Court to stop the ballot recounts in Florida after the 2000 elections. Both are excellent selections to replace Alberto Gonzales; but Mukasey actually has a shot at confirmation while Olsen is dead in the water.
President Bush had floated the possibility of Olsen as A.G., but dropped the idea when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would torpedo an Olsen nomination.
Olsen has a history of working on behalf of the conservative agenda long before Florida. In appreciation for his work in halting the Florida recount, Olsen was given the position of Solicitor General during Bush's first term. On the potential confirmation hearings, one Senate aide is quoted as saying, "Olsen would have been a bloodbath."
So instead of picking a fight that he could not afford and win, for a position that already has severe image problems, Bush took the high road by striking a conciliatory pose and nominating a candidate with a legitimate shot at confirmation.
Democrats are determined to mine the train wreck that was Gonzales' tenure as A.G., and Mukasey is seen as one that can restore some integrity to the battered department. Granted, if Bush was at the beginning of his term instead of nearing the end, he might not have rolled over on Olsen or nominated Mukasey. But as a lame duck president embroiled in a bitter battle over Iraq, why should Bush go to the mat over a 16 month temporary position?
Despite the endorsement of the Republican National Convention, some conservatives are disappointed with the Mukasey pick because he is not a Washington insider, not a partisan member of the Bush team, does not always rule in favor of conservative issues. Also Mukasey is seen as weak on pro-life issues, is a good friend and campaign advisor of social moderate Rudy Giuliani. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has come out in support of the nomination. It will be interesting to see if the Giuliani Presidential campaign will benefit from the Mukasey nomination.
Ted Olsen is a Republican lawyer who argued before the Supreme Court to stop the ballot recounts in Florida after the 2000 elections. Both are excellent selections to replace Alberto Gonzales; but Mukasey actually has a shot at confirmation while Olsen is dead in the water.
President Bush had floated the possibility of Olsen as A.G., but dropped the idea when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would torpedo an Olsen nomination.
Olsen has a history of working on behalf of the conservative agenda long before Florida. In appreciation for his work in halting the Florida recount, Olsen was given the position of Solicitor General during Bush's first term. On the potential confirmation hearings, one Senate aide is quoted as saying, "Olsen would have been a bloodbath."
So instead of picking a fight that he could not afford and win, for a position that already has severe image problems, Bush took the high road by striking a conciliatory pose and nominating a candidate with a legitimate shot at confirmation.
Democrats are determined to mine the train wreck that was Gonzales' tenure as A.G., and Mukasey is seen as one that can restore some integrity to the battered department. Granted, if Bush was at the beginning of his term instead of nearing the end, he might not have rolled over on Olsen or nominated Mukasey. But as a lame duck president embroiled in a bitter battle over Iraq, why should Bush go to the mat over a 16 month temporary position?
Despite the endorsement of the Republican National Convention, some conservatives are disappointed with the Mukasey pick because he is not a Washington insider, not a partisan member of the Bush team, does not always rule in favor of conservative issues. Also Mukasey is seen as weak on pro-life issues, is a good friend and campaign advisor of social moderate Rudy Giuliani. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has come out in support of the nomination. It will be interesting to see if the Giuliani Presidential campaign will benefit from the Mukasey nomination.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
nb
posted 9/21/07 @ 11:14 AM CST
"Another partisan flack"?
I'm confused.
Ted Olsen? or the author?
Post a Comment