Bush Picks Mukasey For Attorney General

President George W. Bush, seeking to avoid a possible confirmation fight over a fiercely partisan candidate, chose retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey today to replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Democrats said the conservative Republican president made a wise choice and raised no immediate objections.

As chief judge of the busy U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Mukasey had presided over high-profile terrorism cases. The president urged the U.S. Senate to quickly confirm the moderate Republican jurist, who would be his third attorney general.

Senate Democrats declared no outright opposition to Mr. Mukasey. But they made clear that there would be no confirmation hearings until the Bush administration answers what they call outstanding questions about the White House's role in the firings of federal prosecutors over the winter.

Some legal conservatives and Republican activists have expressed reservations about Mr. Mukasey's legal record. Even before he was nominated, Mukasey met on Sunday with six conservative leaders to answer their questions.

Mr. Mukasey currently serves as a judicial adviser to GOP presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani; the White House said Mr. Mukasey would sever ties with the Giuliani campaign.