President Bush today is expected to nominate retired federal judge Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. Bush will hold a press conference at the White House at 10:30 this morning to make the nod official.
The decision allows Bush to sidestep the nasty confirmation process Democratic senators had promised if Bush were to nominate one of his earlier choices.
"While he is certainly conservative, Judge Mukasey seems to be the kind of nominee who would put rule of law first and show independence from the White House, our most important criteria," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the former New York federal court judge. Schumer had been a vocal critic of former Solicitor General Ted Olson, who was previously rumored to be Bush's top pick to lead the Justice Department.
