VOA常速英语2007-US Attorney General Nominee's Position on Water

By Deborah Tate
Washington
31 October 2007

President Bush's nominee¹ to be attorney general, Michael Mukasey, has told U.S. senators he does not know whether the interrogation technique known as water boarding amounts to torture. His response has raised concerns among Senate Democrats³, a growing number of whom say they will oppose the nomination⁴ because of his position on the matter. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

In a written response late Tuesday to questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee about his position on water boarding, Attorney General nominee MIchael Mukasey called the interrogation technique that simulates drowning "repugnant". But he said he does not know whether it violates U.S. laws against torture, and promised to study its legality if he is confirmed by the Senate.

That response did not please the chairman of the committee, Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat², who said the United States would not hesitate to "roundly and universally condemn⁵ the water boarding of an American held by any other country."

"Think back to the old Soviet⁶ Union days. If the then-Soviet Union had picked up an American and water boarded that American, 535 members of Congress, House and Senate, would vote for a resolution condemning⁷ that, and whoever was president, Democratic or Republican, would have condemned⁸ that. That is one of the concerns I hear by Americans," he continued.

Democratic presidential contenders, including Senators Hillary Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, and Joe Biden of Delaware, say they will oppose Mukasey's nomination because he had not denounced water boarding as torture.

Other Senate Democrats say they will likely follow suit.

The top Republican on the committee, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, says he does not know what more nominee can say about the matter since he has not had a classified briefing about it. But he is concerned the issue could threaten Mukasey's confirmation⁹.

"No doubt the confirmation is at risk at this moment because he has not answered the question categorically," he said.

Specter called for a closed-door hearing to further discuss the matter.

Other Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, accuse Democrats of seeking to stall the nomination, noting that President Bush nominated Mukasey, a retired¹⁰ federal judge, on September 17.

"We have been waiting so long for Judge Mukasey's nomination, it is the longest pending¹¹ nomination in two decades, the longest pending nomination in two decades," he said.

At the White House, spokesman Dana Perino expressed optimism about Mukasey's chances in the Senate.

"We feel confident that he will be confirmed," she said.

If confirmed, Mukasey would succeed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who resigned amid criticism of his handling of a controversial wiretap program and the firing of federal prosecutors¹².

 

1 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

6 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

7 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

12 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。