Michael Mukasey

Hillary Clinton can now be added to the growing list of presidential candidates opposing Michael Mukasey's nomination.

Her statement is after the jump.  read more »

In an interview with Chuck Schumer for a story in tomorrow's Observer, the senator said he still stands by the present nominee for the Attorney General position, Michael Mukasey, because he believes Mukasey will be politically independent from the Bush administration.

Since Schumer introduced Mukasey, a fellow New Yorker, at the confirmation hearings, the nominee has stumbled in his responses about torture and the legal extent of presidential power. Presidential candidates Chris Dodd and Barack Obama have since said that they will vote against Mukasey in the Senate, potentially putting pressure on other candidates to follow suit.

But Schumer isn't budging yet.

"I'm going to give him the chance to put in detail what he means," said Schumer, referring to Mukasey's somewhat convoluted answer about torture.

More after the jump.  read more »

So now that Barack Obama will vote against Michael Mukasey's nomination for Attorney General--joining his fellow Democratic candidate Chris Dodd, who helped set this chain of events in motion two days ago--here are a couple of things to keep an eye on:

With the Democrats set to debate on national television tonight, does Hillary Clinton run the risk of looking out of place – especially to the party base, which is incensed by Mukas  read more »

After the influential Meet the Press audience had turned its television sets off, Mr. Dodd at last offered a truly newsworthy pronouncement that might have ramifications both on the campaign trail and on Capitol Hill.  read more »

Is the former federal judge and attorney general nominee an advance guard for New Yorkers in the capital?  read more »