The American Spectator

Not surprisingly Rudy had glowing things to say about his longtime friend and member of his legal advisory panel.

Thompson did not, and said this:

"The President appears to have nominated someone whose career experience qualifies him to serve as Attorney General. I hope that Senate Democrats will move promptly on Judge Mukasey's nomination, as the Department of Justice needs a Senate-confirmed leader to address the significant challenges we face as a nation. Judge Mukasey will need to prove himself an Attorney General with a firm commitment to confronting the global terrorist threat, both here and abroad, while also ensuring the protection of our basic liberties. His recent op-ed on the subject in The Wall Street Journal is a good sign that he has that commitment. I also hope that as soon as he is confirmed he will take a fresh look at whether the FBI has successfully transformed itself to focus on preventing rather than responding to terrorist attacks."

Granted he doesn't want to praise his rival's "guy" but this strikes me as verging on hostile(he needs to "prove" himself) not unlike the type of things Democrats say and reveals that Thompson(or his legal advisors if he has them) has little idea who this fellow is. This doesn't necessarily burnish his image as a former prosecutor or guru on terrorism. Mukasey did after all preside over the first substantial terrorism trial( 1993 World Trade Center) and make a key ruling on Padilla.

Romney had this to say:

"I welcome the President's choice of Michael Mukasey for the position of Attorney General and hope the Senate will give this distinguished jurist the respect and consideration he deserves. I look forward to learning more about his record as the confirmation process unfolds."

While certainly less effusive (appropriately so since he doesn't have a personal history with him) than Rudy it avoids the pitfalls of sounding belligerent and uninformed.

If Mukasey turns out to be a solid choice this certainly strengthens Rudy's argument that he is the most knowledgable and best qualified candidate to assess conservative legal talent.