[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
[November 14, 2007]
[Pages 1470-1472]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for Michael B. Mukasey as Attorney General
November 14, 2007

    Thank you all very much. Good morning. I'm pleased to be back here 
at the Department of Justice and to join you for the swearing-in of 
Judge Michael Mukasey as the 81st Attorney General of the United States. 
We welcome Michael's wife Susan and their 
children Marc and Jessica, their son-in-law Corey, 
their grandchildren William and 
Benjamin, and other members of the Mukasey 
family. We share their pride in Michael on this important day. And I 
appreciate you all coming to witness it.
    I particularly want to thank the Chief Justice of the United States, 
John Roberts, who is here to swear-in 
the General. I want to thank members of my Cabinet who have taken time 
off to come and welcome a new Cabinet member. I appreciate very much 
that Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, 
the ranking member on the Senate Judici
ary Committee, has joined us, along with Sam Brownback and Senator Lindsey Graham. 
Thank you all for coming. And thank you for making sure this good man 
not only made it to the floor of the Senate, but was confirmed.
    I want to thank former Attorney General John Ashcroft, and welcome John as well as former Attorney General 
Dick Thornburgh. Thank you all for 
coming.
    The job of the Attorney General is one of the most important in our 
Nation's Government. The Attorney General must run the world's largest 
law firm and the central Agency for enforcement of our Federal laws. He 
must aggressively prosecute gun criminals and drug dealers, hold 
corporate wrongdoers to account, protect victims of child abuse and 
domestic violence, and uphold the civil rights of every American.

[[Page 1471]]

    In this time of war, the job of the Attorney General is also vital 
to America's national security. The Attorney General is responsible for 
our law enforcement community's efforts to detect, prevent, and disrupt 
terrorist attacks here at home. He must make certain that our 
intelligence and law enforcement communities work hand in hand to 
protect the American people from terrorist threats. He must ensure that 
we do everything within the law to defend the security of all Americans, 
while at the same time protecting the liberty of all Americans.
    Judge Michael Mukasey is the right man to take on these vital 
challenges. Michael understands the law from both sides of the bench. He 
served for more than 18 years as a U.S. District Court judge in New 
York, including 6 years as the chief judge. He was a lawyer in private 
practice. He served as an assistant United States attorney in Manhattan, 
where he headed the Official Corruption Unit.
    Judge Mukasey also understands the challenges facing our Nation in 
this time of war. He has written wisely on matters of constitutional law 
and national security. He knows what it takes to fight the war on terror 
effectively, and he knows how to do it in a matter that is consistent 
with our laws and our Constitution. He will bring clear purpose and 
resolve to the job of Attorney General. I look forward to working with 
him as a member of my Cabinet and a key player on our national security 
team.
    Our new Attorney General--as our new Attorney General, Michael 
Mukasey follows in the footsteps of a fine man and a fine American, Al 
Gonzales. I have known Al since our days 
working together in the State of Texas. As White House Counsel and as 
Attorney General in my administration, Al Gonzales worked tirelessly to 
make this country safer and to ensure that all Americans received equal 
justice before the law. Over many years, I have witnessed his integrity, 
his decency, and his deep dedication to the cause of justice. I am 
grateful for his friendship. I thank him for his service to our Nation. 
And Laura and I wish him and his wife 
Becky and their children 
Jared, Graham, 
and Gabe, all the very best.
    I also thank Peter Keisler, who has 
served as Acting Attorney General during Judge Mukasey's confirmation 
process. Peter delayed his plans to leave the Justice Department in 
order to ensure that the Department had strong leadership during these 
past months. I appreciate the job you've done.
    With his departure, many of the most senior positions at the 
Department of Justice will now be vacant. In a time of war, it's vital 
that these positions be filled quickly. So in consultation with the 
Attorney General, I will announce tomorrow my nominations for several of 
these senior leadership positions. And I look forward to working with 
the Senate to fill these important positions at the Justice Department 
so that America has the strongest, most capable national security team 
in place.
    As he embarks on his new responsibilities, Michael Mukasey has my 
complete trust and confidence. And he's going to have the trust and 
confidence of the men and women of the Department of Justice. The people 
here are good people, hard-working Americans. From the headquarters to 
U.S. attorneys offices to remote posts overseas, these fine Americans, 
judge, are working to keep the American people safe. They work every day 
to fulfill the most important function of the Federal Government, and 
that's to protect the American people from harm. Their efforts are 
essential to the security of America. The people who work for Justice 
deserve the very best leadership, and you're going to have it with Judge 
Michael Mukasey.
    You'll find out what I found out. Judge Mukasey is a decent man, an 
outstanding lawyer, and a strong leader, and I am really looking forward 
to his wise counsel in the months ahead. Judge, I want to thank you for 
agreeing to serve our country once again, and congratulations.

[[Page 1472]]

    And now I ask Chief Justice John Roberts to administer the oath of office.

Note: The President spoke at 10:12 a.m. in the Great Hall at the 
Department of Justice. The transcript released by the Office of the 
Press Secretary also included the remarks of Attorney General Mukasey.