For A.G., an old hand at terror war
Michael Mukasey, Bush's pick for attorney general, was a tough, conservative judge – with liberal admirers.
from the September 18, 2007 edition
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"He will have other, higher priorities to pursue, such as settling disputes with Congress over FISA," says Mr. Tobias, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which governs US eavesdropping of national security targets.
Lawyers who have had dealings with Mukasey describe him as a serious jurist who was demanding of the lawyers who appeared before him.
"He is extremely bright and hard-working," says Michael Sommer, a former assistant US attorney. Mr. Sommer says the judge never showed any sense of partisanship. "Politics was not an issue in his courtroom," he says.
Senate Democrats initially were positive about the Mukasey nomination. Some felt that the pick was an effort to avoid the heated confirmation battles that might have developed over other potential nominees, such as former Solicitor General Theodore Olson.
"I am open-minded and hopeful that [Mukasey] will satisfy the concerns that I have and other Democrats have, and that he will become a consensus nominee," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D) of New York in remarks to reporters Monday. "But that's not a done deal yet."
•Staff writers Ron Scherer and Gail Russell Chaddock contributed.About Michael Mukasey
Nominated Monday as US attorney general, chief enforcer of federal law and head of the US Department of Justice.
Experience:
1988-2006: Judge of US District Court for the Southern District of New York (six years as chief judge). Presided over high-profile cases such as the 1995 trial of Egyptian sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and nine codefendants stemming from a plot to blow up New York landmarks, and a suit involving the Motion Picture Association's ban on releasing new movies to film critics.
1976-1988: Attorney (then partner), Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Rejoined the New York law firm in 2006 upon retiring from the bench, specializing in white-collar crime, media/entertainment law, and subprime lending.
1972-1976: Assistant US attorney, criminal division, Southern District of New York.
Education: Law degree, Yale Law School; bachelor's degree, Columbia University.
Background: Born and raised in New York City. Advises former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican presidential candidate, on justice and terror-prosecution matters.
Religion: Jewish.
Family: Married to Susan (former school administrator); two children.
Sources: AP, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, US Department of Justice
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