Bush Picks Gonzo's Successor

Could be worse, but still ugh:

President Bush has selected retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey as his new attorney general, sources said yesterday, moving to install a law-and-order conservative at the Justice Department while hoping to avoid a confirmation fight with Senate Democrats.

The nomination of Mukasey, considered an authority on national security issues, could come as early as this morning, the sources said. The White House was already seeking over the weekend to tamp down concern in the conservative legal world about Mukasey's views, assuring allies that he shares Bush's views on executive power and the need for strong action against terrorists.
The Dems are saying they're not going to put up a big fight against Mukasey, because he's got the highly important qualification of not being presumed to be as big a brainless, drooling lackey as Alberto Gonzales.

As ever, Greenwald's the go-to man for the lowdown on Mukasey. A snippet:

But it is true is that Mukasey's history -- unlike that of, say, Ted Olson -- has been that of an independent-minded (albeit quite conservative) judge, not a political hack at the center of partisan wars. He has -- at least at times -- displayed an impressive allegiance to the rule of law and constitutional principles over fealty to claims of unlimited presidential power.
In other words, he's someone to whom Democrats might have objected during a normal administration, based on his entrenched conservatism alone, but given that this is the Bush administration, Mukasey looks pretty damn good. Sigh.

Also stop by to see Jeralyn Merritt and Steve Benen, who also notes that Mukasey is a partisan hack who's "playing an active role in Rudy Giuliani’s nutty presidential campaign."

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