Ex-Judge Is Said to Be Pick At Justice – washingtonpost.com

By Michael Abramowitz and Dan Eggen

Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, September 17, 2007; Page A01

President Bush has selected retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey as his new attorney general, sources said yesterday, moving to install a law-and-order conservative at the Justice Department while hoping to avoid a confirmation fight with Senate Democrats. …

“While he is certainly conservative, Judge Mukasey seems to be the kind
of nominee who would put rule of law first and show independence from
the White House, our most important criteria,” Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), a frequent critic of the Gonzales Justice Department, said in a statement. …

The view from Democrats and their allies yesterday seemed to be that
Mukasey was about the best they could hope for from Bush. Ralph Neas,
president of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way,
predicted Mukasey’s confirmation, assuming he is willing to answer
“legitimate questions” from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“He seems like a bona fide conservative Republican, not a right-wing
ideologue,” Neas said. “He seems like someone who would attract strong
bipartisan support and who could help restore public confidence in the
Department of Justice.”
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Justice: Who Is Michael Mukasey?
PROGRESS REPORT
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport/2007/09/mukasey.html