Just a few short weeks ago, Attorney General nominee Michael B. Mukasey was a lock for the job: a perfect anti-Gonzales who responded perfectly to the questions posed to him on Capital Hill—with the exception of one:

Is waterboarding a form of torture?

A simple "yes" would have satisfied Democrats, but Mukasey fumbled, saying he was unsure whether or not forcibly pouring water up someone's nose to simulate drowning was, in fact, torture. Now top Democrats are wavering in their support of the nominee.

Enter President Bush, who invited a few select reporters to the Oval Office to plead his case. And it wouldn't hurt for Bush to use a little of that legendary Texas charm on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.