President above the law? Block Mukasey.

Deepest thanks to Sens. Sanders, Dodd, and Obama, who have stated unequivocally that they will not vote to confirm Mukasey as attorney general. Bonus points to Bernie Sanders for putting his finger on the real issue at stake:

Mukasey should not be confirmed because he could not muster a simple, straightforward answer at his confirmation hearing when he was asked the simple, straightforward question: Is the president of the United States required to obey federal statutes?

"That would have to depend," he weaseled, "on whether what goes outside the statute nonetheless lies within the authority of the president to defend the country."

Everything else depends on this point -- warmaking, torture, warrantless spying. We cannot appoint yet another man to the highest law enforcement position in the country who does not believe that the president is subject to the law.

C'mon, Senators, three's a movement!

Update: 5:20 pm, 30 Oct - It is indeed: Sen. Clinton joins in. Good move.