Nation in brief: Leahy will hold Mukasey hearings

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., signaled Wednesday that he will move ahead with confirmation hearings for a new attorney general later this month without reaching a deal on documents that he hoped to obtain from the White House.

But Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also said that nominee Michael Mukasey will be confronted with a range of questions related to ongoing conflicts between Democrats and the Bush administration, including whether Mukasey would allow prosecution of White House aides for ignoring congressional subpoenas.

The remarks indicated an end to Leahy’s attempt to use the Mukasey nomination to pry loose sensitive information from the White House about federal prosecutor firings, the government’s warrantless surveillance program and other issues. Leahy’s office has been in intensive negotiations with White House counsel Fred Fielding since President Bush named Mukasey as the nominee three weeks ago, but no agreement has been reached.

Washington

Four fires reported in Senate buildings

U.S. Capitol Police reported four fires in Senate office buildings Wednesday. All were extinguished by midafternoon, but an investigation continued.

“They are suspicious in nature,” said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.

She said two fires in the Dirksen Senate Office Building and one in the Hart building next door were reported in women’s bathrooms and were extinguished between 10:45 a.m. EDT and 12:30 p.m. A fourth, also in a Dirksen restroom, was reported later and extinguished by midafternoon, Schneider said.

There was at least one other similar fire last week in a Senate office building bathroom that was determined to have been caused by a cigarette.