Democrats cave in on torture: Key senators back attorney general nominee

Schumer declared that Mukasey was not his “ideal choice,” but praised his “integrity and independence.” Feinstein declared, “He is not Alberto Gonzales,” who left the Justice Department in the face of the mounting scandal over the politically motivated firing of US attorneys.

Another Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, also indicated he may vote for Mukasey. Calling him a “marked improvement” over Gonzales, Feingold told the New York Times, “He may be the best nominee we can get from this administration.”

The rallying of crucial Democratic support for Mukasey has taken place in the context of a deepening controversy over the nominee’s refusal to declare illegal the US government’s blatant use of torture against those it has illegally detained around the globe.