If there were any doubt remaining that Michael Mukasey will fly through the confirmation process, it’s been dispelled.
Today, Mukasey met privately with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) as a prelude to tomorrow’s confirmation hearing. It went well. From the AP:
Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey is headed for swift approval with scant objections, the powerful Democrat who will chair his confirmation hearings said Tuesday.
“I would expect him to be confirmed,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told reporters after meeting with the former federal judge. “I like him.”…
Leahy told reporters that during private meetings and an exchange of letters, Mukasey has provided acceptable answers to key questions, such as whether he would operate the Justice Department independent of the White House. Gonzales was accused of being “the president’s lawyer” and allowing his deputies to make some hiring decisions based on political affiliation, a violation of law.