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Senator Obama Statement on the Nomination of Michael Mukasey as Attorney General

Monday, September 17, 2007

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) made the following statement on the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General:

"By all accounts, Judge Mukasey has had a distinguished legal career, and he appears to have the qualifications to be Attorney General," Senator Obama said. "However, we need more than qualifications and technical competence. We need someone who understands that the Attorney General is the top law enforcement official protecting the rights of all Americans; he is not the President's private lawyer. It's an important distinction that Alberto Gonzales failed to understand, and we saw the unfortunate consequences in the firing of several U.S. Attorneys, the warrantless surveillance program, and abuses of the Patriot Act. I look forward to hearing Judge Mukasey's testimony and examining his professional commitments and accomplishments, including his record as a federal judge."