Senate Dems Continue To Press AG On Waterboarding

By Daniel W. Reilly

(The Politico)  Senate Democrats are once again trying to pin down Attorney General Michael Mukasey on the issue of torture, asking him in a letter Wednesday to clarify his stance on the controversial interrogation technique known as waterboarding.

The letter was signed by all 10 Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mukasey is set to appear before the committee next Wednesday, where he’s expected to face questions on waterboarding and on the CIA’s destruction of interrogation videos.

The waterboarding issue was the centerpiece of Mukasey’s confirmation hearing last fall, nearly derailing his nomination. 

The retired federal judge told the committee he thought the technique was “over the line” and was “on a personal basis, repugnant to me.” But he refused to state unequivocally that the technique was a form of torture, much to the dismay of Democrats.