Mukasey Will Be Confirmed

There were a couple of stories to come out of the Senate Judiciary Committee today which caused a pretty dramatic shift in the chances that Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey would be confirmed. First the news which pointed to a failed nomination:

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Friday he won't support Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, potentially derailing his confirmation over complaints that he hasn't taken a full enough stand against torture.

"No American should need a classified briefing to determine whether waterboarding is torture," said U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. He planned an afternoon news conference to make the announcement in Burlington.

It turns out that Leahy's opposition is no big deal. Chuckie Schumer and Diane Feinstein have just announced their support for Mukasey which pretty much guarantees he'll get out of committee with a recommendation for confirmation. A filibuster is very unlikely - it's just not worth the fight for the Dems (though they have been dumb enough to take on stupid fights before).