Here's the preemptive email I sent to Michigan's two undecideds, Sens. Levin and Stabenow:

Dear Senator:

I am deeply troubled to learn that you have still not indicated whether you will vote against confirming Mr. Bush's nominee for Attorney General. At a time when the DoJ and all that it stands for have been dragged through the gutter by the former AG, the thought of having an individual in this position who's not SURE if water boarding constitutes torture or not is frankly unacceptable to me. I urge you, in the strongest terms possible, to take an unequivocal, principled, and public position opposing this nominee as soon as possible: your own stature as a person of conscience will help others find the courage to imitate your example.

Respectfully,

Dear America
This is what we have come to.
We are forced to choose between condoning torture vs. putting the president of the united states in legal jeopardy if we want to declare torture illegal.
God help us.

Michael Fiske wrote on November 1, 2007 5:27 PM:
Dear America
This is what we have come to.
We are forced to choose between condoning torture vs. putting the president of the united states in legal jeopardy if we want to declare torture illegal.
God help us.

Michael:
It's truly pityful. I agree with you.
But this vote should be a no-brainer so it shouldn't require God's help to do the right thing.
Torture is unacceptable. End of story.
If calling it what it is puts the president in legal jeopardy, he should do what big boys do: take responsibility for his actions. [Clinton did it!]
WHO the hell is George W. Bush to be above the law????

“While there are other vote options which other senators can motion for in the committee, Sen. Leahy expects a yes-no vote in the committee on Tuesday.”

Which suggests to me that the Republican members don't expect to lose the vote.

When will the folks in California wake up and recall-fire-eliminate in some way shape or form that useless Diane Feinstien?

To Bill
God is the people in my book,
your assuming to put your definition of the gods you've imagined on me.
Don't let the letters G-O-D throw you.
Seriously

smart money's on feinstein pussing out, and the nomination moves forward. second likeliest scenario: the committee makes no recommendation and the nomination goes to the floor.

why the dipshit dems aren't yelling "torture" incessantly is one for the ages.

that there's even a debate over whether to confirm an AG who tacitly supports torturing other human beings turns my stomach.

The only thing that'll remove Dianne from her seat is a rainy night out on the town, a slippery crosswalk and a big rig with a befuddled meth freak peaking behind the wheel.

Other than that, the seat is hers.

Mukasey has already made his position known. It really doesn't matter if he's covering for an illegal Bush policy. This whole business of the president in legal jeopardy is just an excuse. If Bush is in legal jeopardy then IMPEACH him. That's the remedy. But Mukasey's nomination should be voted down.

Mukasey will withdraw this weekend.

He is thinking about historical legacy and his personal reputation-- it is not the opposition in the Senate. He and his family are realizing that to become associated with this administration is akin to jumping into a vile, corrupt cesspool.

From a historical perspective, this administration will be the dark point of the American democracy experiment… the ugly Fascist Mussolini and Franco-like regime in the US.

It's unconstitutional to recall a Senator. Sad but true that Feinstein is with us for the duration. She has become the west coast version of Leiberman.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E6DE143BF930A25754C0A9679C8B63

Umm, did anyone else notice Bush adding "radicals" to his fear and hate hit list in his speech today? (as in terrorist and radicals)
Now, I hope someone can define radical a lot more precisely than torture, because the "r" word is thrown around about a lot of political opponents on Fox noise... look out Moveon and Dailykos...

Arlen Spector expressed reservations about Mukasey?

Ha!

Normally, one might think that such reservations would indicate a certain reluctance to approve the nomination of yet another right wing apologist, but I have developed a rigorous test of Arlen Spector's trustworthiness: drop kicking a dead cat.

Even better, I have discovered what I will call Jimbo's Rule of Drop Kicking Dead Cats: The more you drop kick the same dead cat, the shorter distance it travels. In much the same way, the more you trust Arlen Specter, the closer to zero his credibility creeps.

Arlen's cat now flies a very short distance. I have yet to locate dead cats for Democratic senators Leahy and Schumer. Time shall reveal if it becomes necessary.

As human beings, how can anyone consider nominating someone that agrees with torture?
as citizens, how can we sit by and watch a congress that is so corrupt that they too would even consider a nomination of a criminal, by a criminal?

our world is gone if you continue to simply talk about it. Punditry is fine, but it is much like masturbation, it is an individual thing. It does not involve those around us (usually)

to only be able to talk about this is the reason why it is happening.

As a human that has not lost my character, I must ask anyone in congress: How could you consider working with someone you know to be a war criminal? It makes you one by association, aiding, abetting, conspiracy, etc...

if there is no one in congress willing to stand up and say no, to filibuster, to put holds on those criminals that are totally unacceptable to the rule of law, then there is no one that I can vote for.

none of the above may be the choice for millions of us. where is the outrage?