Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern time, Vi Shields or Bob Sturm, 703-906-6542 or 703-368-1812
MANASSAS, Va., Sept. 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- Richard A. Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006), issued the following statement regarding President 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 in to threats from Senate Democrats by selecting Michael Mukasey, a former federal judge and Rudy Giuliani advisor.
"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."
NOTE TO EDITORS: 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).
