Please call Sen. Feinstein's office (202-224-3841) and ask if she supports torture.

Remind the staffer that "water-boarding" is torture even though Mukasey won't admit it.

Then ask her to vote NO on Mukasey's nomination for Attorney General.

If you have time, please contact the other members of the Judiciary Committee and ask them the same questions.

http://judiciary.senate.gov/members.cfm

They can all be reached via the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (Just ask for the Senator by name)

Thanks,
Bill


President Bush's nominee for Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, thinks the president should be able to wiretap Americans without a warrant and refuses to say whether water-boarding is torture. It's outrageous—but we can stop him. Can you call Sen. Feinstein today and tell her that torture is unacceptable in America? Tell her to vote 'no' on Mukasey's nomination next week.
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Phone: 202-224-3841

President Bush's nominee for Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, has some disturbing views on the rule of law, to say the least. For example, Judge Mukasey thinks the president should be able to wiretap Americans without a warrant, says it's OK for Bush to ignore the law if it's for national security reasons, and refuses to say whether "water-boarding" is torture.1

He isn't sure if water-boarding—an interrogation tactic that simulates drowning—is torture?!? According to the Washington Post, water-boarding, "dates at least to the Spanish Inquisition and has been prosecuted as torture in U.S. military courts since the Spanish-American War. The State Department has condemned its use in other countries."2 That's like saying you're not sure if cigarettes cause cancer—it's outrageous.

There is some good news: We've got a chance at blocking his nomination. Senator Dianne Feinstein is absolutely critical. Can you call Sen. Feinstein and tell her that torture is unacceptable in America? Tell her to vote 'no' on Mukasey's nomination next week.

Here's where to call.

Senator Dianne Feinstein
Phone: 202-224-3841


Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call/index.html?cp_id=626&tg=FSCA_1&id=&t=3

Mukasey looked like a shoe-in until all the Democratic Senators who are running for President—Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd and Obama—announced they'd oppose his nomination. They were followed by other Senators, including four on the all-important Judiciary committee. 3

Here is the New York Time's take on Mukasey's nomination: 4

"Now Mr. Bush wants the Senate to confirm Michael Mukasey, a well-respected trial judge in New York who has stunned us during the confirmation process by saying he believes the president has the power to negate laws and by not committing himself to enforcing Congressional subpoenas. He also has suggested that he will not uphold standards of decency during wartime recognized by the civilized world for generations....

There seems to be little chance that Mr. Bush will appoint the sort of attorney general that the nation needs, a job that includes enforcing voting rights laws and civil rights laws and ensuring that criminal prosecutions are done fairly. Still, senators with a conscience that can be shocked should insist that Mr. Bush meet a higher standard than this nomination."

If the Senate approves Mukasey knowing full well where he stands on torture and wiretapping, they are putting their stamp of approval on those policies.

Can you call Sen. Feinstein today and ask her to vote against Mukasey's nomination?

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Justin, Carrie, Noah and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, November 2nd, 2007

Sources:

1. Analysis of Attorney General Nominee Michael Mukasey's Written Responses, Alliance for Justice, November 1, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3128&id=11581-4304237-zSgffO&t=4

2. Mukasey Losing Democrats' Backing, Washington Post, October 31, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3129&id=11581-4304237-zSgffO&t=5

3. Here It Is: A Handy Chart To Follow Senators' Positions On Mukasey, Talking Points Memo, October 31, 2007,
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3130&id=11581-4304237-zSgffO&t=6

4. Torture and the Attorneys General, The New York Times, November 1, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3132&id=11581-4304237-zSgffO&t=7

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