AG Mukasey Given Clean Bill Of Health

Top Law Enforcement Official Collapsed During Speech, Tests Show No Signs Of Stroke, Spokeswoman Says

(CBS/AP)  Attorney General Michael Mukasey was given "a clean bill of health" and hoped to check out of the hospital after extensive medical tests following his collapse, the Justice Department said Friday.

Departmental spokeswoman Gina Talamona said that the 67-year-old Mukasey underwent a host of exams after being admitted late Thursday to George Washington University Hospital after he collapsed during a speech at a Washington hotel.

"The results are in. Everything looks great," Talamona told reporters gathered outside the hospital in late morning. She reported that that Mukasey had passed a treadmill stress test, a stress echocardiogram, and an MRI. She also said doctors ruled out a stroke or cardiac problem.

"He's in good shape," she said, adding that Mukasey hoped to be able to leave the hospital some time later Friday.

Talamona said the physicians specifically had ruled out TIA - or transient ischemic attack - which is a mini-stroke.

Neither she nor other Mukasey aides would say specifically whether the attorney general would fly home to New York for the weekend or remain in Washington.

Talamona said earlier that at no time had Mukasey transferred his authority to his deputy during the period when he was stricken at a dinner of The Federalist Society and during his time in the hospital through the night and into Friday.

"There's no indication that he suffered a stroke or any heart-related incident," she said earlier. "It really appears to be a fainting spell."

President Bush telephoned the attorney general shortly before 7 a.m. EST to wish him a speedy recovery, press secretary Dana Perino said, describing Mukasey as "sounding well" and saying he was getting "excellent care."

Talamona noted that Mukasey had had a very busy day before going to a Washington hotel to give the keynote speech to a black-tie dinner of society, a conservative-oriented legal group. During the talk, he began to slur his words, nodded, turned and started to collapse when he was caught by men standing nearby.

His spokeswoman noted that he "works long days. He's very active. It was a late-night speech under hot lights."

Mukasey opened his speech on terrorism with a wry remark about expecting the mood at the conservative Federalist Society dinner to be "somber or sober." He slumped over the podium about 15 minutes later after slurring his words and could be seen swaying and shaking slightly. Three or four men in suits rushed on stage and caught him at the lectern.

"Oh, no, no!" people in the audience cried out as Mukasey fell. "Oh, my God!"

Mukasey, a retired federal judge, is Mr. Bush's third attorney general. The flinty but measured New Yorker has said the job initially discouraged him, and he has scaled back his public appearances in recent weeks.

A former prosecutor who saw Mukasey hours earlier described the attorney general as tired-looking and drawn.

Justice spokesman Peter Carr said Mukasey did not transfer his power to Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip.

"The attorney general is conscious, conversant and alert," Carr said after Mukasey was hospitalized. "His vital statistics are strong and he is in good spirits."

Talamona said Mukasey's wife, Susan, was with him at the hospital.

After collapsing, Mukasey lay on the stage for about 10 minutes being attended to by his FBI security detail and medical personnel at the dinner, said eyewitness Abigail Thernstrom, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Though he lost consciousness initially, Mukasey appeared to be awake when he was taken from the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in northwest Washington, she said.

"It was hard to watch such a thing," Thernstrom said. "It was horrible."

A Republican staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jack Daly, who was also at the dinner, said in an e-mail to colleagues sent at 10:20 p.m. EST: "AG Mukasey collapsed in the middle of his keynote address at tonight's fed-soc dinner. He is still on stage after ten minutes and his security detail has called 911. The paramedics just arrived."

Twenty minutes later, Daly added in another e-mail: "Mukasey did regain consciousness before he was taken away."

Mr. Bush, a fierce loyalist, ventured outside his circle of friends and Texas associates to tap Mukasey 14 months ago to replace Alberto Gonzales, who had resigned in disgrace. Gonzales, the president's longtime friend and fellow Texan, quit after months of senators' demands for his resignation and investigations that called his credibility into doubt.

In a sun-drenched morning announcement on the White House lawn, Mr. Bush introduced Mukasey as "a tough but fair judge" and asked the Senate to confirm him quickly.

"Judge Mukasey is clear-eyed about the threat our nation faces," Bush said, praising his reputation as a smart and strong manager.

Mukasey, the former chief U.S. District Court judge in the Manhattan courthouse just blocks from ground zero, earned a reputation as a tough-on-terrorism jurist with an independent streak.

As a judge, Mukasey ordered the detention of young Muslim men as so-called material witnesses in terrorism cases following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. While those decisions drew sharp criticism from immigration lawyers, Mukasey won praise from Bush administration lawyers.

Mukasey endorsed much of the USA Patriot Act, which Mr. Bush pushed through Congress following the terror attacks to secure broad new law-enforcement power.

And yet he once criticized the Bush administration from the bench for overstepping in a terrorism case. As a jurist, he was known for his brusqueness and impatience with people who waste his time.

Before joining the administration, the former judge was a partner at New York-based law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Mukasey was 15 to 20 minutes into his speech about the Bush administration''s successes in combating terrorism when he began slurring his words. He collapsed and lost consciousness, said O''Connor, the department''s No. 3 official."

OD''d on a lie.

[johnpatrick9]

His shrunken soul must have seized up on him...all that lying for the Republican-Nazi administration must have backed up. I have little pity for anyone associated or acting as an apologist for bush-the-worthless. The whole group should be jailed.

[itdfactsu]

An FBI official said Mukasey got stuck on a word during his speech to the conservative legal group, repeated it several times and then "went down hard."

Talking in tongues?

What a hoot he was giving a speech to to the Federalist Society

To bad the whole room didn''t drop that''d be news

Good news

[jydavis1]

let''s not forget that Mukasey was the judge that let Larry Silverstein walk away with $7 billion of insurance money for the "collapse" of the twin towers - Silverstein had only owned the buildings for 50 days - smell funny ?

[ausus-2009]

The first two comments show cold-hearted bigotry. To attack someone who is ill would be like me gloating over Ted Kennedy''s brain cancer. No matter how much you may disagree with someone''s beliefs, it is something that just isn''t done.

As well, no less than Senator Charles Schumer put his name forward as a possible Supreme Court justice and possible Attorney General.

[jydavis1]

Mukasey got the job because he played ball on the 9/11 cover-up, plain & simple - same with Chertoff

[ausus-2009]

The first two comments show cold-hearted bigotry. To attack someone who is ill would be like me gloating over Ted Kennedy''s brain cancer. No matter how much you may disagree with someone''s beliefs, it is something that just isn''t done.

As well, no less than Senator Charles Schumer put his name forward as a possible Supreme Court justice and possible Attorney General.

[humanavance]

Wow.

And he wasn''t even being water boarded or tortured in any way like thousands of his victims.

Irony sure can be ironic sometimes.
ST


"I writhed in anguish for years. Always knowing pain was coming, but never knowing what I should attempt to say next, or how I should appear so that my American torturers would believe me.

The problem was that I was innocent."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[ausus-2009]

Humanavance,

Are you saying he was a water boarding torturer (if so, give me some places and dates where he is alleged to have performed this) or are you just raving on irrelevantly as usual.

[oldmrjim]

OD''''d on a lie. His shrunken soul. waste of time all his public service was. These are typical comments of mindless low IQ morons. This man may die from a stroke. You should be so lucky as you will probably die a much more slow lingering death and deserve it greatly. We have lost America and you are typical of the mindless idiots that roam this once great nation. The day will come when you will atone for your insane comments and votes. The latest polls show that the mindless morons elected one of their own. Great job, now wait for your unemployment as he pushes us into a depression. YOU are DOOMED.

[oldmrjim]

We have lost America. Join the Resistance.... Sanity must be restored to this country.

[netbs9]

Posted by Oldmrjim at 12:28 AM : Nov 21, 2008

You''re the ones that are dropping like flies

You know who''s really on borrowed time? LOL

[netbs9]

.G. Mukasey Collapses During Speech
America''s Top Law Enforcement Official Was Shaking And Slurred His Speech Before Collapse

God making an example?

If you''re going to call someone the Top Law Enforcement Officer he better back it up and this guy was more like a cover up

[humanavance]

"Humanavance,
Are you saying he was a water boarding torturer (if so, give me some places and dates where he is alleged to have performed this) or are you just raving on irrelevantly as usual."
ausus


Yes, I''m saying he is a traitor to America, and continued the authorization of the institutionalized torture and murder of unknown citizens in an unknown number of American secret prisons throughout our globe.

I called and asked for verification, but curiously his accomplices refused to ''fess up.

So I just have to go by the pictures, videos, and clandestine testimony from victims and conscientious observers presented by Amnesty International and other human rights groups.

You know, the same evidence America uses to condemn Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran?

Ain''t truth wonderful?

Thank goodness for it.
ST


"A brutal hand is despised by all it touches."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[jerr11]

I think a little waterboarding should revive him.

[babooph]

Sometimes when insiders get old or ill,they really do get relgion -I still recall Cronkite!!Bet they hide him fast-just incase

[harbinger09]

Sounds like a stroke--probably due to the stress of knowing he can no longer hide or excuse the dirty deeds of Bush and Co and the idea of comeuppance probably haunts him--realizing that prosecution or not; all the foilibles/lies/email shreddings etc are about to come to light and he will have no control of it--and the knowledge that the 10 trillion dollar/lb elephant is way too large to hide under the Republican rug--has to be enough to make anyone with a conscience stroke out.. How soon before Gonzales falls ill and Cheney is back in the hospital with heart problems or another clot scare? The irony is--no matter how one acquires money--ya can''t take it with you when ya die.

[jamshied]

HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKING HIS PILLS.MY BE HE HAD ONE TOO MANY TO DRINK, BLOOD SUGAR WENT DOWN??

65 YEARS OF AGE IS NOT OLD BY TODAY''S STANDARDS , BUT WHEN YOU ARE OVER 60 SHOULD TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH.

IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THEY HAVE GYMS AND EXERCISE FACILITIES FOR THERIER EXCUTIVES WHO ARE MOSTLY OLD.
THEY ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RUNNING A CORPORATION DO NOT HAVE SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS.

NOW, SHOULDN''T WE EXPECT THE SAME FROM OUR SENIOR GOVENMENT OFFICIALS WHILE IN THE OFFICE?

I HOPE THAT THE AG RECOVERS AND NOTHING HAPPENS TO HIM. I AM A DEMOCRAT BUT I NEVER HAVE ILL FEEINGS ABOUT ANYBODY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE MATTER OF DEATH AND ILLNESS. DEATH WILL VISIT ALL OF SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE AS A MATTER OF 100 PERCEN CERTAINTY.

GET WELL SOON, MR. AG. IT WON''T BE LONG AND YOU WILL BE OFF THE HOOK. GO VACATION, SPENT MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY, BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING. NOW THAT YOU ALMOS HAD A MEETING WITH DEAT,REMEMBER THAT DEATH IS CLOSER TO YOU THAT YOUR UNDERWEAR.

[harbinger09]

Humanavance,

Are you saying he was a water boarding torturer (if so, give me some places and dates where he is alleged to have performed this) or are you just raving on irrelevantly as usual.

Posted by ausus at 12:24 AM : Nov 21, 2008


Searing Truth is saying that as held of the department that defended and justified waterboarding and other tortures-the buck stopped with Mukasey and as the main body resposible for accountability and investigating had abdicated and excused those acts--Mukasy was the de facto perpetrator in spirit of said acts. In other words, Mukasey validated torture so by extension he is a victim of his own idealogy--ergo he IS a torturer. If you are from the right--you can relate to the biblical quote: "As a man thinketh, so is he". Hope this helps you

[harbinger09]

The latest polls show that the mindless morons elected one of their own. Great job, now wait for your unemployment as he pushes us into a depression. YOU are DOOMED.

Posted by Oldmrjim at 12:28 AM : Nov 21, 2008


Bush and his war based on lies already pushed us into a depression--we all know this--the world knows this--we are just hoping Obama knows how to help us tread water and stay afloat in the economic cesspool left by the GOP.

[jumkey]

No matter how much you may disagree with someone''''s beliefs, it is something that just isn''''t done.

Posted by ausus

Yeah, I think that was what the defendants at Nuremberg said too.

[harbinger09]

No matter how much you may disagree with someone''''''''s beliefs, it is something that just isn''''''''t done.

Posted by ausus

Some beliefs need destroying and/or killing as do the repositories for them. Idealogically and vicariously, most people seek to do that with words--but God is one, who in His own sweet time, underlines the points of his displeasure. God hates liars and warmongers--scripture makes that very clear. 3 of the most suave foot soldiers of Bush have been struck now--all AGs of Bush. If that position as his law enforcing liar and justifier is not cursed--I don''t know what is. Rove was right to resign--...

[wingnutsblow]

Mr. Mukasey has glimpsed our Lord and lived. It remains to be seen if he has learned his lesson.

[neoconrcrazy]

mukasey was in the midst of defending bush''s "reorganization" of the US Constitution into a neo-fascist manifesto where people are permitted to "disappear", or be subject to "enhanced in-terror-gation" -

maybe his stroke came from divine recognition of this mistake?

[pirmin3]

He recovered?? Aw shucks.

He is too young of a man for this to happen. It would be interesting to see what prescription drugs he has been taking. Then again they released what Tim Russert was taking.

Correction----They never release what Russert was taking.l

[evian_ycnan]

"The president has him in his thoughts and will be kept apprised and hopes that he will be back up and at `em again soon."

The "`em" to which the President refers are the shredders in the DoJ.

Mukasey, Fawn Hall on Aricept.

[ybotheratall]

He is too young of a man for this to happen. It would be interesting to see what prescription drugs he has been taking. Then again they released what Tim Russert was taking.

Posted by baileycc at 05:31 AM
--------------
Ummm, you think he is too YOUNG? Anything, including stroke or heart attack, can happen at any age, 35, 40, there is no "minimum" age for these things. He''s lucky it happened in public where he could get immediate help AND the fact that he probably has good insurance. Otherwise, he would have been S.O.L

[tincup356]

Karma will get every one of the traitors that are trying to ruin our country. it wont be long before Bush has his day to answer to all his war crimes.

[tincup356]

dont you feel so bad about when the bad guys have bad luck? See what happens when you spreads Bush''s'' lie? Oh well thats life just the same as Washington looks upon the middle class as we go down the tubes. Oh well.

[tincup356]

He probably fell victim to the poison that Rumsfeld let loose on us ...Asparcane, originally made for chemical warfare...The FDA approved it for use in Artificial sweeteners, and prescription medicines in the last days of the Regan years.Its poison and they are giving it to us to speed up the process of eliminating the masses of citizens. Do your own research if you don''t believe.

[earache4]

Republicans are dropping like flies. Do you think it is from remorse or God''s wrath?

[armydog2]

It sounds like he had a stroke. I am no fan of his but I hope he gets well.

[tmn]

Sounds like he''s toast as far as AG. Symptoms are serious.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Mukasey was 15 to 20 minutes into his speech about the Bush administration''''s successes in combating terrorism when he began slurring his words. He collapsed and lost consciousness, said O''''Connor, the department''''s No. 3 official."

Right smack dab in the middle of a lie.

Poetic justice if ever there was...

[idnnsg]

"It was horrible." -- Abigail Thernstrom

Not nearly as horrible as the torture he has inflicted on others.

[talk2kim67]

All of you making such negative and down right mean and nasty comments are ignorant a-holes. It''s one thing to blog and express your opinions about political matters...but to slam a person who is seriously ill is another. It could be your brother, uncle, father that could be having a heart attack/stroke. Show some compassion for Christ sake! The only people going to hell r you. Who cares if he is a repub, demo, or a Budda for pete''s sake--he is a human being! You are nothing but slimy slugs.

[earache4]

Show some compassion for Christ sake!

Yeah! Like Mukasey did when he was fighting to make torture legal!

[omega40]

CBS morning news reported he collapsed while giving a speech on the successes of the war on terror.

I can''t help wondering if that speech started with the words "If I''m lying, may God strike me down".

[panhandlpete]

Oh, you mortal man, ye must die just like the rest of us peons. But, please, get well and think about what you have done to other people''s lives during your high and mighty life.

[neoconrcrazy]

bush/cheney''s guard dog has a conscience!

the psychological stress of doing someone elses evil work is devastating....

he know terrible things even he can''t justify.....

[oldone61-2009]

You are truly a bunch ofASSHOLES
---------------------------
Posted by get_it_str8 at 08:27 AM : Nov 21, 2008

No - just typical socialist/liberal haters.

[oldone61-2009]

"...You Fake Republican were hate screchers long befor the liberals were. You freaks screech your hate in the name of Jesus....."
----------------------------------
Posted by FloydZeppd at 08:42 AM : Nov 21, 2008

Certainly there are right wing haters - but their rants rarely come near the routine level of personal vitrol and venomous hatred of left-wing posters.

I my experience, the so called enlightened progressives are some of the most narrow-minded, hate-filled people you will find anywhere.

[gop_will_win]

Shut up you liberals! He doesnt do this all the time!

[louiville2]

I my experience, the so called enlightened progressives are some of the most narrow-minded, hate-filled people you will find anywhere.

Posted by oldone61

Amen to that one, I like calling them 3DB liberals as in 3 dollar bill liberals who really are thugs hiding behind the name.

[tmn]

Cheap booze can do that to a man.

[oldone61-2009]

"...give your fake hurt feelings and self-righteousness a rest."
----------------------
Posted by FloydZeppd at 08:51 AM : Nov 21, 2008

Oh, I don''t have any hurt feelings - in fact I rather enjoy hearing the shrieks and rants of the left. Shows their frustration.

Expect that frustration to grow in the coming months. :-)

[ioweign]

Certainly there are right wing haters - but their rants rarely come near the routine level of personal vitrol and venomous hatred of left-wing posters.

I my experience, the so called enlightened progressives are some of the most narrow-minded, hate-filled people you will find anywhere.

Posted by oldone61 at 08:50 AM : Nov 21, 2008



After the last 8 years, now claim to be a "born-again" Christian...

[omega40]

Amen to that one, I like calling them 3DB liberals as in 3 dollar bill liberals who really are thugs hiding behind the name.

Posted by louiville2 at

Sure, all that footage of the Obama rallies where they would accuse McCain of being un-American and shout "kill him" and "off with his head". Oh wait............