Former federal Judge Michael B. Mukasey was sworn in as the nation’s 81st attorney general today.
President Bush, welcoming Mukasey to the Cabinet, called him “the right man” to confront the challenges at the department, which has been demoralized by a scandal in which eight U.S. attorneys were fired, provoking allegations from Democrats that they were purged for failing to adhere to a Republican agenda on prosecutions.
The ceremony, in the Great Hall at the Justice Department, came before an audience of employees and two former attorneys general — Richard L. Thornburgh and John Ashcroft.
There has been a recent exodus of top-level employees from the department. Bush said he would name their replacements Thursday “so America has the strongest … national security team in place.”
Bush thanked former Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales, his longtime political ally and a former Texas Supreme Court justice.
“Al Gonzales worked tirelessly,” said Bush, who previously has complained that Gonzales’ “good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.” Bush today said that he was grateful for the former attorney general’s service, prompting robust applause from Justice Department employees.
I think Mukasey’s first act as Attorney General should be to repeatedly waterboard terror suspects on the steps of the capital just to make Democrats cry.
-Chris Jones
