Cautious Mukasey Disappoints Former Backers

Says no lawyer should be blamed for their clients' positions

(NEWSER) - Michael Mukasey today joined the chorus of conservatives and legal professionals decrying Liz Cheney’s “Al-Qaeda 7” attack ad, which portrayed Justice Department lawyers who’d once represented Guantanamo detainees as terrorist sympathizers. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal , the former attorney general argues that lawyers, from those who defended Bernie Madoff to those who made legal arguments for Bush administration torture policies, should be held responsible for the clients or views they represent. More»

Change follows further criticism from NY pols in 9/11 case

(NEWSER) - In an about-face a day after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined those opposed to trying 9/11 terror suspects in a lower Manhattan court, the White House yesterday asked the Justice Department to consider alternate venues, the New York Times reports. President Obama is said to continue to support Attorney General Eric Holder's position that a civilian trial is appropriate for alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others. More»

Ex-AG compares torture to speeding (really)

(NEWSER) - Alberto Gonzales did not mean to endorse Eric Holder’s probe of alleged CIA torture during the Bush administration by calling it “legitimate,” the former AG tells the Washington Times, which broke the story. “I don't support the investigation by the department because this is a matter that has already been reviewed thoroughly,” he says. “Another investigation is going to harm our intelligence gathering capabilities.” More»

(NEWSER) - AG Eric Holder today named a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of torture against CIA operatives who interrogated terror suspects during the Bush administration, the Washington Post reports. John Durham, who is currently probing the destruction of interrogation tapes, will look into fewer than 12 cases detailed in a CIA report released today and determine if a full-scale investigation is warranted. The Bush-era Justice Department investigated and dismissed the cases. More»

(NEWSER) - Two years after leaving the Justice Department in disgrace, Alberto Gonzales is still trying to get back on his feet. In an interview with New York Times Magazine's grand inquisitor Deborah Solomon, the former AG says he's living in an apartment in Lubbock, Texas, where he'll begin a teaching gig this month that will give students "a behind-the-scenes look at how the White House is really organized." Solomon questions him about the 70 Texas Tech professors protesting his "ethical failings," to which Gonzales responds: "It's an ongoing investigation. I cannot comment." More»