Richard Viguerie: Bush AG Choice Disappoints Conservatives - Again

    MANASSAS, Va., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Richard A. Viguerie,
 author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other
 Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books,
 2006), on Monday issued the following statement regarding President George
 W. Bush's nomination of Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General:
 
     "President Bush has blown another chance to energize the discouraged,
 disheartened, and disillusioned base of the Republican Party by picking an
 ideological fight. Instead, he has caved into threats from Senate Democrats
 by selecting former federal judge from New York and Rudy Giuliani advisor
 Michael Mukasey.
 
     "Bush has passed up his last chance to salvage the remaining 16 months
 of his presidency. He had an opportunity to revive his presidency and
 energize Republicans by nominating a strong conservative -- like former
 Solicitor General Theodore Olson -- one who can win the support of the
 Republicans who elected him.
 
     "Instead, he chose to surrender to liberal Democrats like Sen. Chuck
 Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has already praised Judge Mukasey as a 'consensus
 nominee.' Ralph Neas, president of the liberal advocacy group People for
 the American Way, concurred, calling Mukasey 'someone who would attract
 strong bipartisan support and who could help restore public confidence in
 the Department of Justice.'
 
     "When liberals like Chuck Schumer and Ralph Nees are pleased with a
 nominee, conservative alarm bells should ring.
 
     "Liberal Democratic senators who threatened to reject Ted Olson went
 beyond the constitutional authority of the Senate to provide advice and
 consent. They demanded that this executive branch nominee remain
 'independent' from the president, in whom the Constitution vests
 exclusively the executive power. In doing so, Senators Reid, Schumer, Leahy
 and others indicated their willingness to violate the separation of powers.
 The fact that President Bush caved in shows even more political weakness
 considering his willingness to claim and flaunt executive powers of
 questionable constitutional authority in other circumstances.
 
     "This nomination is an invitation to liberal Democrats to run
 rough-shod over the remainder of Bush's politically weakened presidency.
 
     "Bush is now the lamest of lame ducks."
 
     Richard A. Viguerie pioneered ideological and political direct mail and
 has been called "the funding father of the conservative movement" for his
 role in helping build dozens of conservative organizations. He is the
 author of Conservatives Betrayed--How George W. Bush and Other
 Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books,
 2006).
 
     CONTACT: Bob Sturm (703) 396-6974
     After 6 PM Eastern time, contact:
     Vi Shields (703) 906-6542 or
     Bob Sturm (703) 368-1812
 
 
 
 

SOURCE Conservatives Betrayed