***** View LIVE Webcast ***** HOUSE Oversight Hearing DoJ Mukasey ******

[L. Coyote]

http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=407
The witness list is still blank, but Mukasey will soon be doing a redux of
his visit to the Senate, except facing Rep. John Conyers instead of Sen. Leahy.


http://boss.streamos.com/real-live/judiciary/17223/56_judiciary-coj_2141_070212.ram
Thursday 02/07/2008 - 10:00 AM
Full Committee - Oversight Hearing of the Department of Justice
http://judiciary.house.gov/Schedule.aspx

For Immediate Release - 1/31/2008 - http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=916
Conyers Wants Answers at February Hearing, Not Hedging

(Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. sent Attorney General Michael Mukasey five important areas of questions he should answer in advance of his February 7th testimony before the committee. Specifically, Conyers sought answers to questions about the politicization of the Department of Justice, waterboarding, the destruction of CIA tapes, and vote suppression. Conyers also included suggestions submitted by progressive bloggers, which he requested earlier this week. Click on the link below to view the letter.
Conyers Letter to Mukasey - http://judiciary.house.gov/Media/PDFS/Conyers080131.pdf

Thursday on C-SPAN3 at 11am (ET) http://www.c-span.org
Mukasey Responds to Conyers
Atty. Gen. Michael Mukasey responds to five questions posed to him by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI),
House Judiciary Cmte. Chairman. The Atty. Gen. was asked to discuss the politicization of the
Justice Dept. and waterboarding, among other issues.

[Lasher]

1. The House video site wants RealPlayer.

Guess they don't work with Windows Media Player, huh?

[librechik]

3. look close--there's a selection for WMV, and also a stand alone player

next to the vid screen

[Lasher]

5. None of the links takes me to that point.

When I select this one from the OP

http://boss.streamos.com/real-live/judiciary/17223/56_judiciary-coj_2141_070212.ram

It wants me to run a .RAM (RealPlayer) file. Same thing when I go to the Judiciary Committee site and select 'view live video'.

If I am not going to the right place, please hit me with the link that will take me to where I will find the WMV selection.

[librechik]

16. go to www-cspan.org. Theres' a task bar across the top. under title

choose video/audio and a little menu comes up with all the channels and all the players.

Great new page design at C-span!

[L. Coyote]

9. C-Span has the WMP link, HOUSE has a .ram formatted link. Looks like an 11 AM EST start.

on C-Span contrary to the House Comm. page announcing a 10 AM meeting.

ON EDIT: The Committee page now says 11 AM.

I'm viewing the Hearing room and nothing is happening yet.

[Lasher]

11. Cool, I thought I was going to miss an hour of it by using CSPAN.

I thought about breaking down and loading RealPlayer but I worry about software fights going on inside my PC.

[bdamomma]

2. thanks L. Coyote!

[L. Coyote]

142. very welcome. LATE arrivals scroll down for the VIDEO links ... and kick.

:kick:

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

I'm a glutton for punishment.

[bdamomma]

8. yea, how much BS can we listen to and take.

[Solly Mack]

37. Are you still around?

Mukasey barely got out 3 words before I wanted to trash my monitor. :)

[sheelz]

136. Looks like I've arrives Late

[bdamomma]

6. The Chairman of the Committee is Rep Reyes

some of the Committee members will be late due to a Prayer Breakfast, is Conyers supposed to be here.

[L. Coyote]

7. Conyers Letter to Mukasey . . = MUST READ = . .

My OCR of the PDF:

January 31,2008

The Honorable Michael B. Mukasey
Attorney General of the United States United States 
Department of Justice 
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

One week from today, you will testify for the first time before the House Judiciary 
Committee. I very much look forward to a frank and productive discussion that will shed 
light on your approach to the challenging issues facing the Department of Justice (DOJ) 
and our nation at this time. In order to make the most of our limited time, I am sending 
the following questions about issues of interest to myself and other Committee members. 
We would appreciate receiving your responses, along with your prepared testimony, no 
later than the close of business on February 5,2008, so that all Committee members may 
have an opportunity to review them before you testify next week. In addition, please 
provide responses to the previous Committee letters to which there has not yet been a 
response, including letters to the Department of May 8, November 9 and December 20, 2007 
and January 10, January 15, January 23, and January 29, 2008.

1. Politicization of the Department of Justice - Former Reagan Attorney General Richard 
Thornburgh is just one of a number of former DOJ officials who have expressed concern about 
the politicization of the Department in recent years, including U.S. Attorneys' offices, as 
reflected in the forced resignation of U.S. Attorneys in 2006 and other events.

	a. In addition to your revisions to DOJ policy concerning contacts
between DOJ personnel and White House officials regarding pending matters, which I commend, 
describe any other steps you have taken to address this concern, whether with respect to the 
hiring of career personnel, restoring the traditionally apolitical approach to prosecution 
of the U.S. Attorney corps, communicating to the entire Department and the public that 
partisan politics must be checked at the door, or otherwise.

	b. The website TPMMuckraker, which played an important role in providing 
information to the public concerning the U.S. Attorney scandal, revealed that it has recently 
been removed from DOl's press release email distribution list. Who made this decision and why, 
and was there a change in policy in press release distribution after you became Attorney General?


2. Waterboarding and Torture - Your January 29,2008, letter to the Chairman and members of the 
Senate Judiciary Committee, which preceded your Senate testimony on the same topic the following 
day, states that "There are some circumstances where CUITent law would appear clearly to prohibit 
the use of waterboarding. Other circumstances would present a far closer question."

        a. What specific "current law" were you referring to that would prohibit waterboarding 
"in some circumstances"? What "circumstances" were you referring to?

        b. Are there any circumstances in which you believe that the waterboarding of a captured 
American soldier would be lawful?

	c. Yesterday, Senator Durbin asked if you had reviewed a 2005 legal opinion that the New York 
Times described as providing "explicit authorization to ban-age teITor suspects with a combination of
painful physical and psychological tactics, including head-slapping, simulated drowning and frigid 
temperatures."l This memorandum, authored along with others in this period by Steven Bradbury, was 
apparently approved by former Attorney General Gonzales over the objections of his Deputy Jim Corney, 
who stated that the Department would be "ashamed" if it became public. You indicated that you had not 
reviewed these memoranda but that you would do so. I urge you to complete that review and state whether 
you agree with the legal reasoning that they contain and would have approved the opinion.


3. Selective Prosecution - During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you pledged 
in response to a question from Senator Schumer to look into the Siegelman prosecution in Alabama, which was 
the subject in part of a Joint Hearing of two House Judiciary Subcommittees. You also stated that you would 
review a recent study finding that, during the Bush Administration, Democratic officeholders have been 
investigated by Department prosecutors six times more often than Republicans.

	a. Please describe what steps you have taken to familiarize yourself with the Siegelman 
matter, including the allegations of politicization that Senator Schumer referenced in his question 
to you? Did you review the record of our Subcommittees' Joint Hearing on October 23, 2007?

       b. Have you taken any actions or formed any views about that matter and the allegations of 
political pressure referred to by Senator Schumer and discussed at our hearing?

      c. Please describe what steps you have taken to familiarize yourself with the study regarding the 
relative frequency of investigations of Democrats and Republicans. Have you taken any actions or 
formed any views about that issue in response to your review of the study?


4. Investigation Into Destruction of CIA Tapes - Justice Department regulations require you to appoint 
an outside special counsel when: 1) a "criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted," 
2) the investigation "by a United States Attorney's Office or litigating Division of the Department of 
Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department," and 3) "it would be in the public 
interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter." Although you 
have publicly stated that you do not intend to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether the 
CIA violated the law when it destroyed videotapes of terrorist suspect interrogations, please address 
the following questions.

      a. In light of the fact that the Department may have been consulted on matters and decisions 
which are central to the investigation, why do you believe that this matter poses no risk of a conflict 
of interest for the Department and that the appointment of a special counsel from outside the government 
would not be in the public interest?

      b. What is the scope of AUSA Durham's investigative authority and reporting requirements and have any 
limitations on the investigation's scope, jurisdiction, subject matter and methods been placed on him? In 
particular, although you testified yesterday that he may investigate the issue of what was shown on the tapes 
as part of the motive for their destruction, does the scope of the investigation include the legality of the 
conduct shown on the tapes and of the alleged failure to provide the tapes to the 9/11 Commission or to any 
federal court?

      c. What attorney and other resources will be dedicated to the investigation?

      d. What role and authority will the Deputy Attorney General have in this investigation?


5. Vote Suppression and Civil Rights Enforcement - In remarks you made at a Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Day Prayer Breakfast on January 9th, you said that vigorous, fair, and impartial enforcement of the 
civil rights laws is among your "top priorities" as Attorney General. You also stated that the Civil 
Rights Division will playa crucial role through monitors and other means in assuring that the laws 
are scrupulously observed as our nation chooses a new President.

      a. Despite complaints of voter suppression and intimidation, this Administration has brought fewer 
cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and brought them at a significantly lower rate, than any 
other administration since 1982. What are your plans for ensuring that Section 2 is vigorously enforced 
and enforced in a fair and impartial manner?

      b. What actions is the Department preparing to take to address complaints of caging, intimidation, 
and other campaign tactics intended to suppress the minority vote?

      c. As we approach the 2008 Presidential election and the 2010 Census, there will likely be an upsurge in 
submissions under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. What steps are being taken to prepare for and 
respond to an increase in Section 5 submissions?


Please send your responses to the Judiciary Committee office, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20515 (tel.: [phone]; fax: [phone]). Thank you for your prompt attention 
to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you next week.

 

[bdamomma]

10. they just don't give a crap what these committees want

all these letters were sent and no response has been given. Total secrecy this will bite all of us.

In addition, please provide responses to the previous Committee letters to which there has not yet been a response, including letters to the Department of May 8, November 9 and December 20, 2007 and January 10, January 15, January 23, and January 29, 2008.

[L. Coyote]

12. Does anyone else feel like we will be watching "Junta or No Junta" ?? episode two

Except this time, we know that Bush authorized torture, then said we do not torture, then decided waterboarding is not torture.

Even the Three Stooges couldn't make this stuff up! :rofl:

[malaise]

97. Superb letter

but I'm waiting for the impeachment hearings.

Back in session now. Asking about TPMMuckraker

[L. Coyote]

135. Cut and Paste is all we really need to start the impeachment hearings at this point!

[bdamomma]

13. I can't listen to lies anymore from these jerks.

it's sickening.

[L. Coyote]

14. The microphone test went well. 15 minutes to START TIME 11 AM

[L. Coyote]

15. Rec this: Amnesty International Calls for Criminal Investigation(waterboarding)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3171238

[MiniMe]

17. Is it on cspan3? I have cspan3 up and it seems to be something else.

[L. Coyote]

18. Streaming from the Committee site now. There is a link on C-Span's front page!

http://c-span.org/

I'm using RealPlayer streaming the Committee's .ram LIVE stream.

[MiniMe]

22. When I tried to link per the cspan front page, it took me to cspan3

Oops. I am running from the committee webpage also. Thanks.

[L. Coyote]

19. AGAIN! Mukasey did not reply to the letter and questions! See MUST READ above.

Conyers opening statement now. 2008 election concerns.

[L. Coyote]

20. LIVE STREAM from the Committee linked HERE

http://boss.streamos.com/real-live/judiciary/17223/56_judiciary-coj_2141_070212.ram



Thursday 02/07/2008 - 11:00 AM
Full Committee - Oversight Hearing of the Department of Justice
http://judiciary.house.gov/Schedule.aspx

[L. Coyote]

113. This Web Page for the hearing is where the View Live Webcast is available.

http://judiciary.house.gov/Schedule.aspx

Or at least was. I'm not sure a link for the video will come up.
I suppose this is where to check. http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=407

[L. Coyote]

124. Rep. John Conyers Opening Statement for Justice Department Oversight Hearing

Conyers Opening Statement for Justice Department Oversight Hearing
http://judiciary.house.gov/OversightOpeningStatement.aspx?ID=106


I am pleased to welcome the attorney general of the United States, Mr. Michael Mukasey.

Mr. Mukasey oversees what I consider to be the most important agency in the federal government, with jurisdiction over voting rights, civil rights, criminal and civil justice, antitrust, intellectual property enforcement, and bankruptcy to name but a few key areas. He assumes a very large responsibility and I look forward to a productive relationship between him and the members of this committee.

At the outset, I would like to note my disappointment that the attorney general did not respond in advance to the five areas of questioning I outlined in my letter to him of last week.

As the members know, the five-minute rule is not always the most efficient mechanism for disclosing information, while written questions submitted after a hearing take many months to respond to. I hope that we receive a timely written response to these questions quickly after today’s hearing.

I would like to emphasize two areas that I would hope the attorney general would address in his opening statement today:

First, I continue to be frustrated by the administration’s failure to fully and frankly address our nation’s position on the odious practice of waterboarding. During his confirmation proceedings Mr. Mukasey was asked about waterboarding and said he would “examine the underlying memos and underlying facts” about what the U.S. has done and try to explain to Congress.

But after his confirmation, he refused to state whether waterboarding is torture or illegal, saying that there are “some circumstances” that current law would appear to prohibit it and “other circumstances would present a far closer question.”

Just this week we learned that CIA agents have engaged in waterboarding, and that federal prosecutors appear to have known about the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes for more than a year before taking any action. Mr. Attorney General, my question is, will you tell us today whether you are willing to conduct a criminal investigation into these confirmed incidents of waterboarding?

Second, no issue is more important to me than voting rights and fair access to the ballot box. I have high hopes that the department and this committee can work together to ensure that the 2008 elections are as fair and open as any in our history.

We already have concerns about voting problems and questionable tactics in the ongoing presidential primaries, and I hope the attorney general will tell us today exactly what steps the department is taking to address this problem and that he will work with this committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee to set up a series of comprehensive meetings with the Voting Section and its staff so that we can ensure that every available resource is being deployed to protect our citizen’s precious right to vote in the upcoming elections.

I thank the attorney general for his time and look forward to his testimony.

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United State House of Representatives Seal gray back gif

[L. Coyote]

21. Mukasey opening statement now.

Propaganda first, FISA next, ... What, no sorry for not replying?

FISA FISA First we have to cover up past crimes by this administration FISA FISA

IMMUNITY

[L. Coyote]

23. Differences are inevitable between Dept. and Comm. Mukasey, 2008.02.07

[L. Coyote]

56. RELEASE: Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey .....

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey Before the House Committee on the Judiciary
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following prepared
remarks were released today by the U.S. Department of Justice:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-07-2008/0004751761&EDATE=


Chairman Conyers, Ranking Members Smith, and Members of the Committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify about the important work being
carried out by the men and women of the Department of Justice and for
permitting me to highlight key challenges that lie ahead.

In the short time that I have been at the Department, I have confirmed
what I had hoped and expected to find: men and women who are talented,
committed, and dedicated to fulfilling its historic mission. That mission
is to advance justice by defending the interests of the United States
according to the law; to protect Americans against foreign and domestic
threats; to seek just punishment for those who violate our laws; to assist
our State and local partners in combating violent crime and other
challenges; and to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice
by protecting the civil rights and liberties that are the birthright of all
Americans.

These values are central to the mission of the Department and defining
features of our democracy, and I thank the Committee for its efforts to
help realize them.

During my tenure, I have sought opportunities to work with Congress to
ensure that the Department is provided the statutory tools necessary to
fulfill the Department's crucial mandate. I have also sought to keep
Congress apprised of the Department's activities and policy positions where
possible, and to respond to the Committee's oversight requests in a spirit
of inter-branch comity that respects the institutional interests of the
Department and Congress. I pledge to maintain this commitment throughout my
tenure as Attorney General of the United States.

I would like to focus on two crucial legislative issues pending before
the Congress: the impending expiration of the Protect America Act, and the
impending effective date of the United States Sentencing Commission's
decision to make a wide range of violent drug offenders eligible for a
retroactive reduction in their sentence. I hope to work with Members of
this Committee to address each of these problems.

As this Committee is aware, the Protect America Act will soon sunset,
but threats to our national security will not expire with it. I urge
Congress to pass long-term legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act (FISA) to ensure that this statute addresses present and
emerging threats to our national security. S. 2248, the FISA Amendments Act
of 2008, includes tools contained in the Protect America Act that have
allowed us to close critical intelligence gaps. In addition, this
legislation protects telecommunications companies now under legal assault
because they are believed to have responded to the Government's call for
assistance in the aftermath of September 11.

The Protect America Act is set to expire in just days, and it is vital
that Congress enact long-term FISA modernization legislation, with
retroactive immunity, before that Act expires.

S. 2248, which is a strong bipartisan bill reported out of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence by a 13-2 margin, is a balanced bill that
includes many sound provisions that would allow our Intelligence Community
to continue obtaining the information it needs to protect the security of
America, while protecting the civil liberties of Americans. Modernization
of FISA is a critical part of this vital effort.

The Department would have grave concerns about any legislative proposal
that ignores the continuing nature of the terrorist threat and denies the
Intelligence Community and law enforcement the long-term statutory tools
necessary to defend the United States. The Department respects the
oversight authority of Congress, but sunset provisions create uncertainty
in the Intelligence Community and stifle the development of stable
partnerships necessary to detect, deter, and disrupt threats to our
national security.

It is also critical that Congress provide liability protection to
electronic communication service providers in enacting a reauthorization
bill. Contrary to the assertions of some, the legal protections contained
in S. 2248 bill do not confer blanket immunity. Rather, protections apply
in limited and appropriate circumstances, as reviewed by a court. We
believe this approach represents the best way to provide retroactive
immunity against these claims and urge Congress to pass legislation
containing these protections.

While we appreciate the work of the House of Representatives in holding
hearings and considering the challenges posed by the outdated provisions of
FISA, the bill passed by the House, H.R. 3773, falls far short of providing
the Intelligence Community with the tools it needs to collect foreign
intelligence effectively from individuals located outside the United
States. We cannot support this bill, which does not provide liability
protection, would sunset in less than two years, requires prior court
approval of acquisitions targeting persons outside the United States except
in emergencies, and limits the type of foreign intelligence information
that may be collected.

I would now like to focus on an issue that will have an impact on
community safety nationwide: the Sentencing Commission's decision to apply
retroactively, effective March 3, 2008, a new -- and lower -- guideline
sentencing range for crack cocaine trafficking offenses.

Unless Congress acts by the March 3 deadline, nearly 1,600 convicted
crack dealers, many of them violent gang members, will be eligible for
immediate release into communities nationwide.

Retroactive application of these new lower guidelines will pose
significant public safety risks. Many of these offenders are among the most
serious and violent offenders in the federal system and their early
release, without the benefit of appropriate re-entry programs, at a time
when violent crime has increased in some communities will produce tragic,
but predictable results. Moreover, retroactive application of these
penalties will be difficult for the legal system to administer given the
large number of cases eligible for resentencing, now estimated at upwards
of 20,000, and uncertainties as to certain key legal issues remain
unresolved.

I understand the commitment of Members of this Committee to community
safety, and would appreciate the opportunity to work with this Committee
and this House to address the retroactivity issue in an expedient manner,
while beginning discussions on changes to the current statutory
differential between crack and powder cocaine offenses.

Let me conclude with the following observation. While differences
between this Committee and the Department are inevitable and are consistent
with the institutional tension embedded in the Constitution, which is our
Founding document, it is worthwhile to remember what unites us. We each
swear an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and to uphold
the high ideals of public service to which we are entrusted. We must not
lose sight of the common goals and common purpose that unify the Department
of Justice and Members of the Committee who support its historic and
ongoing mission.

I have submitted a more extensive statement for the hearing record and
would be pleased to answer any questions you might have.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

[L. Coyote]

24. Conyers: Are you willing to start a criminal investigation into waterboarding? Mukasey: NO

[L. Coyote]

25. Conyers: Are you willing to provide the legal opinions of the OLC? Mukasey: NO

[jtrockville]

26. DOJ authorized it, so DOJ can't investigate it.

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR?

[Solly Mack]

27. That is such a bullshit excuse coming from Mukasey

[L. Coyote]

29. Who can do a MASH-UP with GONZO'S MOUTH and this tired script pouring from Mukasey?

[Solly Mack]

32. He's this close || to saying "I don't recall" lol

Actually, he's just point blank saying he won't answer and he won't do anything

[L. Coyote]

38. This FREDO even sounds exactly like the last FREDO when reading the same script

Maybe he hasn't been drinking DC water long enough to NOT RECALL anything! :rofl:

But hey, the day is young!

[Subdivisions]

28. CRAP!!! Where is the hearing? I am only getting video. No audio

on .ram link!

[L. Coyote]

30. RECESS for four VOTES on the HOUSE FLOOR. Then they will be back.

[Subdivisions]

31. Is C-SPAN covering this hearing. I hate Real Player

Edited to add: It's a real fucking shame that someone as conscientious at keeping informed as I am can't even find a suitable source to view this hearing. Why is this hearing NOT ON TV?????????????? 45 minutes into it and I haven't seen a single second of it yet. FUCK!

[L. Coyote]

34. It was advertised on the new C-Span front page since yesterday. Checking now

They just took it down!

The RealPlayer feed works just fine.

[Subdivisions]

35. WHAT A GODDAMNED FUCKING JOKE! CAN'T EVEN WATCH

MY FUCKING GOVERNMENT WITHOUT JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS AND WALKING THROUGH DOGSHIT!

FUCK!!!

[Subdivisions]

36. OH BUT I CAN SURE AS HELL SEE HERR BUSCH'S UGLY

GODDAMNED FACE ON CSPAN!!!

EVERYBODY FUCKING PRAY! PRAY! PRAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY!!!

[L. Coyote]

33. Conyers foreshadowed Election issues. What is coming up on that front?

And, any news on Ken Blackwell showing up tomorrow?

"Mr. Blackwell, did any Ohio punch card ballots, used or unused, switched or not, recounted or not, end up in the same place as the White House e-mails?"

[Solly Mack]

39. Looks like people are returning

Hope it starts back up soon. I have to go in a little bit.

[Subdivisions]

40. So, is the hearing only available at the real player link?

[Solly Mack]

41. Seems like it. I tried C-SPAN 3 earlier and got another hearing

Unless it's changed since...

[Subdivisions]

42. The video quality could not be worse. Sheesh! n/t

[L. Coyote]

43. For a moment I thought that was GONZO all over again. Wait, it is, with a new mask!

Wow, the first artful dodger has some real competition now. Mukasey was slippery, albeit it made him stammer to squirm so.

[L. Coyote]

44. TPM Coverage has started: Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate Waterboarding

Albeit NO video yet! Maybe because it was not televised?

==============
Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate Waterboarding
Paul Kiel - Feb 7, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/mukasey_no_i_will_not_investig.php

Well, not that there was much mystery about it, but Attorney General Michael Mukasey immediately put any ambiguity to rest when he began his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this morning.

Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) put it to him: since administration officials have disclosed that CIA agents waterboarded three detainees, "are you ready to start a criminal investigation?"

"No, I am not," was the direct answer.

His reasoning was a repeat of his answer to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) last week. .......

[L. Coyote]

45. They are almost back. Guess what is headlining a Mukasey search of the MSM? = Crack

Mukasey: Block release of crack convicts
By ROBERT SCHMIDT WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Michael Mukasey is to ask Congress
to block the early release from prison of many of the 20000 ...

Mukasey Pushes Back on Early Release for Crack Convicts U.S. News & World Report

Mukasey Pushes Back on Crack Guidelines ABC News

Mukasey's Testimony Has NJ Angle WNYC

Washington Post

all 113 news articles »
Mukasey Wants to Block Crack Releases
The Associated Press - 23 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey wants Congress to act within weeks to prevent the release of thousands of violent criminals from federal ...

Mukasey: No Waterboarding Inquiry Plans
The Associated Press - 11 minutes ago
Attorney General Michael Mukasey, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, said he would not. "Are you ready to start a criminal investigation into ...

=================
Let's see how fast this gets reversed! Somehow, I think today's torturous Torture headline will overtake the Crack spin!

[L. Coyote]

46. "Harsh but Non-Lethal Interrogation Techniques" being defended by Rs now

The best euphemism for torture yet! Paraphrasing: I welcome you to join in my Fascist Manifesto!

[L. Coyote]

47. AP: Mukasey: No Waterboarding Inquiry Plans

Mukasey: No Waterboarding Inquiry Plans
By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 33 minutes ago - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0HzC22rsazNY3EH2NhxMtOE-1agD8ULJKK00

WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Democrats pressed Thursday for the Justice Department to investigate whether U.S. interrogators broke the law when waterboarding al-Qaida detainees the years after 9/11.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, said he would not.

"Are you ready to start a criminal investigation into whether this confirmed use of waterboarding by U.S. agents was illegal?" asked committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.

"No, I am not," Mukasey answered bluntly.

"Whatever was done as part of a CIA program when it was done, was the subject of a Department of Justice opinion, through Office of Legal Counsel, that was found to be permissible under the law as it existed then," Mukasey said.

He said the Justice Department could not investigate or prosecute people for actions that it had earlier authorized. .........

[L. Coyote]

126. Justice Dept. 'Cannot' Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Says

Justice Dept. 'Cannot' Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Say
By Dan Eggen - February 8, 2008; Page A04 - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/07/AR2008020701542.html?hpid=sec-politics


The attorney general yesterday rejected growing congressional calls for a criminal investigation of the CIA's use of simulated drownings to extract information from its detainees, as Vice President Cheney called it a "good thing" that the CIA was able to learn what it did from those subjected to the practice.

The remarks reflected a renewed effort by the Bush administration to defend its past approval of the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding, which some lawmakers, human rights experts and international lawyers have described as illegal torture.

Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Justice Department lawyers concluded that the CIA's use of waterboarding in 2002 and 2003 was legal, and therefore the department cannot investigate whether a crime had occurred.

"That would mean that the same department that authorized the program would now consider prosecuting somebody who followed that advice," he said.

.................

[L. Coyote]

48. Ten minute recess starting

[L. Coyote]

49. Mukasey Skirts Waterboarding Issue

Mukasey Skirts Waterboarding Issue
By Ryan Grim - Feb 7, 2008 - (The Politico)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/politics/politico/thecrypt/main3802330.shtml


Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) has his counsel with him, seated to his right, indicating he intends to go as far as he legally can in getting at the question of whether Attorney General Michael Mukasey believes that waterboarding — which Conyers calls an "odious practice" in his opening statement — is torture. He also wants to know if a criminal investigation will be launched to punish those agents who utilized the practice.

Mukasey, though, didn't mention waterboarding in his opening statement.

Conyers immediately follows up with a question on whether Mukasey will pursue the criminal investigation.

"No, I am not," he says. "That would put in question not only that opinion , but any other opinion from the Justice Department."

Conyers and Mukasey then went back and forth .....

[L. Coyote]

50. USA Today: Mukasey: No criminal probe into CIA's use of waterboarding ...

Mukasey: No criminal probe into CIA's use of waterboarding on ...
USA Today - 15 minutes ago - http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/02/mukasey-no-crim.html

Attorney General Michael Mukasey said today that he will not open a criminal investigation into the CIA's use of a controversial interrogation technique ...

[L. Coyote]

51. WA POST: Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe Into Waterboarding

Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe Into Waterboarding
Washington Post, United States - 14 minutes ago - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/07/AR2008020701542.html?hpid=topnews


By Dan Eggen washingtonpost.com > Politics

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said this morning that waterboarding was deemed legal by the Justice Department at the time it was used by ....

[L. Coyote]

52. They are back.

[Solly Mack]

53. back again

[Solly Mack]

55. I can publicly criticize the war criminal

but then I'm not a Bush toady

[L. Coyote]

54. ACLU: Mukasey to Defend Statements on Waterboarding Before the House Judiciary Committee

Mukasey to Defend Statements on Waterboarding Before the House Judiciary Committee (2/7/2008)

ACLU reiterates call for independence in CIA investigation and firm statement regarding waterboarding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2008 - http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/34005prs20080207.html


Washington, DC – Today, Attorney General Michael Mukasey is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s Department of Justice oversight hearing. Expected to be discussed is the attorney general’s refusal to firmly state his position on waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods, which were heavily debated in Mukasey’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The American Civil Liberties Union has long pointed to the historic position of the United States that those methods are torture. The Administration should prohibit their use by any American personnel.

“The head of the Department of Justice should be able to discuss plainly and directly how our nation’s top law enforcement agency enforces the criminal laws against torture,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Attorney General Mukasey’s reticence on the topic does nothing to restore Americans’ confidence in the Justice Department, which both the department and the country greatly need after the abysmal tenure of Alberto Gonzales. The Justice Department is meant to be a beacon of independence and righteousness – not a means for the president to disregard criminal laws and core American values.”

The Department of Justice has also been under fire recently for its refusal to appoint an independent prosecutor to look into the CIA’s destruction of interrogation videotapes. The department has instead investigated the matter internally, claiming it is capable of doing so impartially. The ACLU has led the charge in calling for an outside investigator, and the House Judiciary Committee has called for the same.

“Americans need their confidence in the Department of Justice restored, and the department must start by granting independence in the CIA investigation,” said Christopher Anders, senior legislative counsel for the ACLU. “As long as Mukasey continues to hold his prosecutor on a short leash, Americans won't believe that the investigation is beyond the White House's reach. And why should they? With so little time left in office for the attorney general, this simple act of independence would signal a much-needed shift away from politicization in the Bush Justice Department.”

[Solly Mack]

57. What a crock of shit. Those who make excuses for torture are JUST AS BAD AS BUSH

and they are WORSE than Bush when they excuse torture and hold a position of power that allows them to hold Bush accountable

[L. Coyote]

58. Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe Into Waterboarding = all 329 news articles »

Google search for "michael mukasey" has changed:
.... ".... all 329 news articles » .... " now and climbing .....

Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe Into Waterboarding
Washington Post, United States - 45 minutes ago
By Dan Eggen Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said this morning that waterboarding was deemed legal by the Justice Department at the time it was used by ...
Mukasey: No Waterboarding Inquiry Plans The Associated Press
Mukasey: No criminal probe into CIA's use of waterboarding on ... USA Today
Mukasey: No Investigation of Past CIA Practices The BLT
Talking Points Memo

http://news.google.com/news?q=michael+mukasey

[L. Coyote]

59. US admits using 'waterboarding' = all 722 news articles »

US admits using 'waterboarding'
RTE.ie, Ireland - 19 hours ago - http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0206/cia.html
US Senate Democrats have demanded that Attorney General Michael Mukasey launch a Justice Department investigation into whether waterboarding violated the ...
US 'may use' waterboarding again Aljazeera.net http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CD529EE6-39C0-4CF9-A83C-96EAC71CD721.htm

White House says waterboarding not torture Washington Times
We waterboarded al-Qaeda operatives: CIA The Age
Los Angeles Times - Boston Globe
all 722 news articles »

[L. Coyote]

73. Waterboarding is legal, White House says . = all 723 news articles »

Waterboarding is legal, White House says
Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours ago - http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-torture7feb07,1,3156438.story?track=crosspromo

For years, White House officials denied that the US had engaged in torture but always stopped short of confirming whether waterboarding had been used. ...
US 'may use' waterboarding again Aljazeera.net
US 'may' use waterboarding again BBC News = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7231146.stm
CIA admits waterboarding of terror suspects Times Online
Voice of America - Guardian Unlimited
all 723 news articles »

[L. Coyote]

61. CQ Politics: Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe of Waterboarding

Mukasey Rejects Criminal Probe of Waterboarding
Feb. 7, 2008 – http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=cqmidday-000002667441


Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Thursday the Justice Department will not investigate the legality of waterboarding, which the Central Intelligence Agency has acknowledged using on three al Qaeda leaders several years ago.

Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Mukasey also rebuffed a request from Chairman John Conyers Jr. , D-Mich., for copies of the department’s past legal opinions on the interrogation technique, which critics say is nothing short of torture. Mukasey’s refusal could tee up another constitutional showdown over committee access to administration documents, depending on how far Conyers decides to push it.

Mukasey repeated what he had said at a Jan. 30 Senate Judiciary hearing — that he does not want to probe any past conduct sanctioned by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Mukasey, who did not become attorney general until this year, said it would be inappropriate for the Justice Department to take that step.

On Feb. 5, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden acknowledged that his agency used the simulated-drowning technique .......

[L. Coyote]

123. Mukasey: Waterboarding Cannot Be Investigated Because It Was Considered Legal

Mukasey: Waterboarding Cannot Be Investigated Because It Was Considered Legal
February 7, 2008 6:49 p.m. EST - http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009965918

Isabelle Duerme - AHN News Writer

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Past interrogations using waterboarding cannot be investigated because the technique was considered legal according to the Justice Department, according to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey on Thursday.

Responding to the questions of House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich), Mukasey said that an investigation by the Justice Department "would mean that the same department that authorized the program would now prosecute someone for taking part" in the act.

"Essentially it would tell people, 'You rely on a Justice Department opinion as part of a program, then you will be subject to criminal investigations...if the tenure of the person who wrote the opinion changes or indeed the political winds change," he said, as quoted by CNN. "And that's not something that I think would be appropriate and it's not something I will do." .......

........

[Solly Mack]

60. My cats would've sniffed Mukasey and then they wouldn've tried to bury him

as they did with anything they didn't like the smell of...

[Solly Mack]

62. C'mon people. One more recommend! (Pretty Please)

[buzzard]

63. Done.n/t

[Solly Mack]

64. Thank you, buzzard!!!

:hi:

[L. Coyote]

67. Thanks. Plenty of lurkers today.. 600+ views.

[L. Coyote]

65. Monica GOODLING violated law with "political litmus test" What steps are you taking?

Mukasey: Still under investigation by Inspector General and OPR.

[Solly Mack]

66. "in good faith" = a phrase I can do without hearing again

[Solly Mack]

68. How does one break the law "in good faith"?

[L. Coyote]

69. FISA "I very much disagree with you Mr. AG ...

"ordinarily we do not enact laws" to stop ongoing litigation.

[Solly Mack]

70. Are we now going to hear how breaking the law was their (telecoms) patriotic duty?

[jtrockville]

115. Mukasey says they didn't break laws. So then WHY do they need immunity?

Maybe because the telecoms (and the adminstration) DID break laws.

From the Washington Post (according to then deputy AG Comey):

"The domestic spying by the National Security Agency continued for several weeks without Justice approval
...
It also marks the first public acknowledgment that the Justice Department found the original surveillance program illegal, more than two years after it began."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html

[L. Coyote]

120. What is needed now is a large team of lawyers under one person, the Chair of impeachment proceedings

[Solly Mack]

71. Oh call it what it is...it's torture....not "interrogation"

[Solly Mack]

72. Me-can't-say ...

[Solly Mack]

74. Teehee...LMAO Good question

"I can't go into this...any conversations I've had (w/ Bush)

to

Have you been instructed by the President for people not to answer/act/enforce/appear...citations of contempt, etc

[buzzard]

76. They are beyond contempt.

[L. Coyote]

75. Rep. Wexler on IMPEACHMENT hedging and helping BUSH == Congressional subpoena power

"unprecedent act, where the POTUS has directed a high individual to appear"

[L. Coyote]

77. Should Cogress pass a contempt citation will you enforce it? Mukasey NO

[Solly Mack]

78. yeah...right...a real pleasure

[Solly Mack]

79. Who is that piece of shit?

[L. Coyote]

80. Now we are having torture jokes? WTF

[Solly Mack]

81. Listen to the cheerleader for torture

[L. Coyote]

84. We treat our recruits in training worse than tortured terrorists. GRREEAT Talking Point!!

Dear Lord. Please forgive them for they know not who writes their lines! :rofl:

[Solly Mack]

88. and the kicker is, they think they are making a valid and real point

[L. Coyote]

91. They reveal their world view by telling us what fits into their belief structures.

Not to mention, it is rationalization, at best, and end justifying the means reasoning.

[L. Coyote]

82. Now the Opinions of the DOJ are above the law. What matters is interpretation

by DoJ, not the law itself.

[L. Coyote]

83. "Is there a legal precedent for what you are saying?" Mukasey NO

[Solly Mack]

85. I wish for Mukasey to be a victim of his own legal triangulations

May he wake up in the same Kafkaesque nightmare is creating for others

[L. Coyote]

86. There are four rounds of questions. Steve Cohen up.

[L. Coyote]

87. Great Question: "Do you ever represent Congress as the AG?"

Cohen: "not follow the orders of a President that were improper"

WOW, Mukasey just saying, in effect, the President is the Supreme Decider!

[buzzard]

89. So far a big FU from Mukasey to anyone who questions him.

[L. Coyote]

90. COHEN: Incredible line of questioning. Mukasey "senior advisors of the President" do not have to

appear.

Now we have Mukasey supplanting the Supreme Court with himself on the wing??

[L. Coyote]

92. Wow. Quite the exchange of overtalking and evasion!

PARAPHRASING:

"Mr. Mukasey, are you saying you do not have the power to enforce the law?"

Mukasey: I can only look forward.....

[Solly Mack]

93. I know better than to listen to Mukasey

Color me livid

[L. Coyote]

94. How many standards for what constitutes torture are there? Five minute recess.

[Oilwellian]

95. I'm stunned & nearly in tears

There are no words for what we've heard today. :(

[L. Coyote]

100. I'm shocked. Imagine if Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy were alive today!

And asking questions of this AG.

[buzzard]

96. Back from break.n/t

[L. Coyote]

98. hope this video will be downloadable. AMAZING exchanges. Truly historic.

[Solly Mack]

101. I know!...disgusting too.

[Solly Mack]

99. WHAT????? He won't even answer that? DO we use that then?

[malaise]

102. No hypotheticals. Gonzo version 2. n/t

[Solly Mack]

104. He's scarier actually...he's smarter...more clever...slicker

He's better than Gonzales at covering up for Bush (and himself)...his use of language

[malaise]

106. Good point

:hi:

[L. Coyote]

110. Gonzolies v2008, the new, improved ParseBot, less memory, more bull!

Our new, improved liebot will parse any question and give a satisfactory answer that is a guaranteed, non-prosecutable parsing of the most outlandish lies in such manner that the interrogator will give the interviewee a medal of valor and goodness.

[Solly Mack]

103. Yo Congress! Mukasey is telling you with every non-answer that he supports torture

[L. Coyote]

105. "And this classified program is not for the eyes and ears of this Comm?" Mukasey NO

[Oilwellian]

107. We're watching a congressional neutering

Heil Bush. I wonder what republicans will do if Obama or Hillary take the same positions.

[L. Coyote]

108. Off topic, check this YouTube: Anthony Weiner Rips the "Republic Party"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsqprEihjXg

[L. Coyote]

109. Rep. Artur Davis, Political considerations and charging decisions of USAs = Siegelman

"Republican political operatives discussed ... charging

"desirability of prosecuting

USA Iglesias, NM & John McKay

Set of questions:

...........

[L. Coyote]

111. Conyers, with a heavy voice, "and, the Committee is adjourned."

We did not get to the election issues in this session!

Hey, if all this torture stuff keeps us from discussing how the Junta got installed, do they finally have a diversion that is working?? :rofl:

[L. Coyote]

112. CIA Boss: Waterboarding May Be Illegal- 1 hour ago ..... all 1,109 news articles »

CIA Boss: Waterboarding May Be Illegal
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0HzC22rsazNY3EH2NhxMtOE-1agD8ULL7300

WASHINGTON (AP) — CIA Director Michael Hayden cast doubt on the legality of waterboarding on Thursday, a day after the White House said the harsh ...
CIA chief says legality of "waterboarding" now uncertain AFP

==============
CIA Boss: Waterboarding May Be Illegal
By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 1 hour ago - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0HzC22rsazNY3EH2NhxMtOE-1agD8ULL7300


WASHINGTON (AP) — CIA Director Michael Hayden cast doubt on the legality of waterboarding on Thursday, a day after the White House said the harsh interrogation tactic has saved American lives and could be used in the future.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Democrats pressed Thursday for the Justice Department to investigate whether U.S. interrogators broke the law when waterboarding al-Qaida detainees the years after 9/11.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, said he would not.

"Are you ready to start a criminal investigation into whether this confirmed use of waterboarding by U.S. agents was illegal?" asked committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., calling the technique an "odious practice."

"No, I am not," Mukasey answered bluntly.

"Whatever was done as part of a CIA program at the time that it was done was the subject of a Department of Justice opinion, through Office of Legal Counsel, and was found to be permissible under the law as it existed then," Mukasey said.

He said the Justice Department could not investigate or prosecute people for actions that it had earlier authorized. ........

..........

[L. Coyote]

140. VIDEO = DCIA Michael Hayden: Legality of Waterboarding Is in Doubt

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92266

[L. Coyote]

141. VIDEO = DCIA Michael Hayden: CIA Has Used "Waterboarding"

DCIA Michael Hayden: CIA Has Used "Waterboarding"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92267

[L. Coyote]

114. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX): 99% of Americans Would Support Waterboarding

GOPer: 99% of Americans Would Support Waterboarding
By Paul Kiel - February 7, 2008, 2:25PM - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/goper_99_of_americans.php


It's not even a close call, says Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX). If you've got a terrorist, and he has information that could save thousands of Americans lives, waterboarding is a no-brainer: "99% of the American people" would support such a technique, he said. I guess that weak-kneed 1% would be the Democrats in Congress.

Smith began by saying, "I just want to express the personal opinion that I hope the administration will not be defensive about using some admittedly harsh but nonlethal interrogation techniques, even techniques that might lead someone to believe they're being drowned even if they're not."

Not content with his own take on American public opinion, Smith wanted Mukasey's opinion. Wouldn't you agree, he wanted to know, that 99% of the American people would endorse such techniques if they were used on a "known terrorist" with a "high expectation" that such information could save thousands of American lives?

Mukasey demurred. "I can't sit here and say what I think 99 percent of people would do." He began "I have, kind of, an instinct, but...:"

...............

[L. Coyote]

116. TPM = Mukasey: The Law Is What The Justice Department Says It Is

Mukasey: The Law Is What The Justice Department Says It Is
By Paul Kiel - February 7, 2008, 3:00PM - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/mukasey_the_law_is_what_the_ju.php


Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) wanted some clarity during his questioning. Was the attorney general really saying that anyone who acted pursuant to a Justice Department legal opinion was "insulated from criminal liability?"

Mukasey wanted to say it more carefully. "I think what I said was that we could not investigate or prosecute somebody for acting in reliance on a Justice Department opinion."

But even if that opinion was "inaccurate," Delahunt wondered, and that behavior really did violate the U.S. criminal code, you're saying that someone who relied on it would effectively have "immunity from any culpability?"

"Justified reliance," Mukasey answered, "could not be the subject of a prosecution." Simple as that. "Immunity connotes culpability,” he added, so it wasn't immunity, exactly, but the effect was the same.

Delahunt (much like Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) in the last hearing) proclaimed himself baffled. This was a "new legal doctrine" .....

........

[L. Coyote]

118. VIDEO: = US AG Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate Waterboarding Torture

US AG Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate Waterboarding Torture Click here to hide this thread
TPM VIDEO here on DU. View/discuss at: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x91701

[L. Coyote]

119. VIDEO = US AG Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate BUSH Illegal Warrantless Wiretapping

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x91705

[L. Coyote]

125. TRANSCRIPT w/ AG Mukasey: No, I Will Not Enforce Citations for Contempt of Congress

Mukasey: No, I Will Not Enforce Citations for Contempt of Congress
By Paul Kiel - February 7, 2008, 6:24PM - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/mukasey_no_i_will_not_enforce.php#more

Just to complete the theme of the day, Michael Mukasey said today that if Congress passed contempt citations against current and former White House officials based on their refusal to respond to subpoenas, the Justice Department would not enforce them, as federal law instructs.

Rep. Dave Wexler (R-FL) was the one who first popped the question. If Congress passed a citation against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, who, along with former White House counsel Harriet Miers and Karl Rove, refused to show up when subpoenaed by Congress as part of the U.S. attorneys investigation -- would the DoJ enforce it?

Mukasey's simple answer was "no." Enforcing the contempt citation is "not permitted when the president directs a direct adviser of his, somebody who directly advises him, not to appear or when he directs any member of the executive not to produce document."

This is not much of a surprise. ............

TRANSCRIPT......

..........

[L. Coyote]

128. VIDEO = Rep. Wexler questions AG Mukasey on Impeachment and Contempt

I hope more Dems start YouTube accounts! Rep. Wexler questions AG Mukasey on his second YouTube video posting.

Rep. Wexler questions AG Mukasey on Impeachment and Contempt
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92189

[L. Coyote]

131. VIDEO = Rep. Adam Schiff Questions AG Mukasey = WATERBOARD TORTURE

Rep. Adam Schiff Questions AG Mukasey = WATERBOARD TORTURE
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92222

[L. Coyote]

132. VIDEO = Rep. Linda Sanchez Questions AG Mukasey = $52 Million DoJ Contract with Ashcroft

Linda Sanchez Questions the Attorney General about the $52 Million DoJ Contract for the former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
VIDEO: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92219

From: HouseJudiciary http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseJudiciary
*** Joined: 3 months ago
*** Videos: 18
Added: February 07, 2008

[L. Coyote]

133. VIDEO = Rep. Steve Cohen Questions AG Mukasey = contempt citations & senior White House officials

Rep. Steve Cohen Questions AG Mukasey = contempt citations against senior White House officials
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92208

[L. Coyote]

134. VIDEO = Rep. Mike Delahunt Questions Mukasey = DoJ Torture Opinions

Rep. Mike Delahunt Questions Mukasey = DoJ Torture Opinions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x92231

[L. Coyote]

117. AlterNET = Waterboarding: Two Questions for Michael Hayden

Waterboarding: Two Questions for Michael Hayden
http://www.alternet.org/rights/76312/


By Andy Worthington, Andy Worthington's Blog. Posted February 7, 2008.

The CIA director admits the U.S. waterboarded detainees, but says it was only done on three. He's lying.

The media is buzzing with the news that Michael Hayden, the director of the CIA, admitted in an open session of Congress on Tuesday that waterboarding -- a long-reviled torture technique, which produces the perception of drowning--was used ..........

My questions for Mr. Hayden are simple. Firstly, if it's true that only three detainees were subjected to waterboarding, then why did a number of "former and current intelligence officers and supervisors" tell ABC News in November 2005 that "a dozen top al-Qaeda targets incarcerated in isolation at secret locations on military bases in regions from Asia to Eastern Europe" were subjected to six "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques," instituted in mid-March 2002?

According to the ABC News account, the six techniques used by the CIA on the "dozen top al-Qaeda targets" were "The Attention Grab," "Attention Slap," "The Belly Slap" and three other techniques that are particularly worrying: "Long Time Standing," "The Cold Cell," and, of course, "Waterboarding."

"Long Time Standing" was described as "among the most effective ," in which prisoners "are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor for more than 40 hours." ...

..........

[Deny and Shred]

121. Yo Mukasey, just write an opinion deeming anything the Bush

Administration does is perfectly legal and get it over with.

Oh, I forget, Gonzo's opinions and the signing statements pretty much have done that already given your stance on what is worthy of investigation.

Dept of Injustice. Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Investigate No Evil - EVEN WHEN IT'S BEEN ADMITTED.

This guy is useless, a Bush Cheney cheerleader - get him some pompoms.

Question : Is there any chance of the next AG (hopefully appointed by a Dem) of looking into this and other egregious issues from the past 7 years?

[L. Coyote]

122. The "Special Prosecutor" hue and cry should now become deafening

Mukasey cannot look in any direction except forward. That is the most astounding thing I've ever heard from anyone who is responsible for looking back to see who violates the law, and this is from the highest-ranked law enforcement officer in the land. Jerry Garcia would make a better cop from the grave!

[madokie]

127. I spent the whole damn day yesterday off and on trying to find this

could you have maybe included the link directly to the hearing without it being such a hassle on our end. Oh well its history now. :-)
no real player here
peace and smiles

[L. Coyote]

129. The hearing link is in the OP, and I posted over and over again above. It was live stream .ram

As people wandered the electronic wilderness trying to get past errors not mine, things got confused if not trolled.
C-Span was advertising televising it until after it started and they didn't.

Since it was a live webstream, I don not know if there exists a whole hearing video yet. Anyone?
I just updated the video resources again, adding the Wexler video. Please add any others anyone.

[L. Coyote]

130. VIDEO: Mukasey at the SENATE Judiciary = Warrantless Wiretapping

US AG Mukasey: No, I Will Not Investigate BUSH Illegal Warrantless Wiretapping
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x91705

[L. Coyote]

137. VIDEO = Sen. Joe Biden: Mukasey's Torture Stance "Shocks My Conscience"

Biden: Mukasey Stance on Torture "Shocks My Conscience"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x88971

[L. Coyote]

138. VIDEO = Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Grills Mukasey = Why Aren't You Investigating Torture?

Whitehouse to Mukasey: Why Aren't You Investigating Torture?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89040

[L. Coyote]

139. VIDEO = Sen. Arlen Spector Tongue-Ties Mukasey = "Did The Administration Break The Law?"

Mukasey Tongue-Tied on Administration Law Breaking
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x88974