Chuck Schumer

People blaming Chuck Schumer for the collapse of Indymac is getting ridiculous. Now we have one of Kudlow's butt buddies taking the bait.

It's funny how most haven't heard of Schumer's criticism of Indymac until after the collapse. Now that it's over, they have found their scapegoat, who happens to be a Democrat. Here's a question that needs to be asked - If Schumer's criticism of the bank was enough to bring it down, then how sound was the bank? Seriously. Chuck Schumer, or any Senator for that matter, could hold the entire nation hostage by threatening a letter saying all our banks are going to collapse. Is our nation in that delicate of a balance? If so then Chuck Schumer should be applauded for telling the truth.

(H/T/ Chris in Paris who has much more)

Glenn Greenwald highlights this little part of Schumer's speech last night during the confirmation of Mukasey:

[The most amazing quote was from chief Mukasey supporter Chuck Schumer, who, before voting for him, said that Mukasey is "wrong on torture -- dead wrong." Marvel at that phrase: "wrong on torture." Six years ago, there wasn't even any such thing as being "wrong on torture," because "torture" wasn't something we debated. It would have been incoherent to have heard: "Well, he's dead wrong on torture, but . . . "

Now, "torture" is not only something we openly debate, but it's something we do. And the fact that someone is on the wrong side of the "torture debate" doesn't prevent them from becoming the Attorney General of the United States. It's just one issue, like any other issue -- the capital gains tax, employer mandates for health care, the water bill -- and just because someone is "dead wrong" on one little issue (torture) hardly disqualifies them from High Beltway Office.]

That's right - minor little things like torture shouldn't stop someone from being our top law enforcement officer. Hell I bet old Chuck is heading down to Gitmo to join in some good old waterboarding. Talk about a man who has become a disgrace to his party, office and country.

I used to really like Chuck Schumer. Those feelings have changed in recent history. He is not a man of principal - he is a man of covering his own ass. In today's New York Times, he has authored an Op-Ed explaining his reason for supporting Mukasey:

I AM voting today to support Michael B. Mukasey for attorney general for one critical reason: the Department of Justice — once the crown jewel among our government institutions — is a shambles and is in desperate need of a strong leader, committed to depoliticizing the agency’s operations.

The department has been devastated under the Bush administration. Outstanding United States attorneys have been dismissed without cause; career civil-rights lawyers have been driven out in droves; people appear to have been prosecuted for political reasons; young lawyers have been rejected because they were not conservative ideologues; and politics has been allowed to infect decision-making.

A strong leader like someone who won't say if water boarding is illegal? Does Schumer really consider that a strong leader? I would like to see what a weak leader is if that's the case.

As much as he pisses me off at times, I still like Chuck Schumer. This morning on Face the Nation, Orin Hatch kept invoking the old "Clinton did it" excuse when talking about the Libby commutation. Schumer responded; "two wrongs don't make a right".

For as "bad" as Clinton was for this country (according to Republicans), they sure love defending Bush with the old "Clinton did it" meme. So why are they comparing their hero to their nemesis? Simple - it's because they are the party of childish excuses.