Psst. Time for a quiet cheer.

The point that a pre-disgraced Mukasey is better than another one of Bush's interim Brownie-style appointments is a good enough one to make Mukasey's narrow confirmation something of a triumph.

The final tally gave Mukasey the lowest number of yes votes for any attorney general since 1952, just weeks after lawmakers of both parties had predicted his easy confirmation. Mukasey takes the place of Alberto R. Gonzales, who left under a cloud of scandal in September.

Michael Mukasey has some proven competence.  But even better, he goes into office after having been exposed. The confirmation process showed Mukasey -- to the entire country, not just Democrats -- to be untrustworthy. 

For far too long we gave Gonzales the benefit of the doubt with that eager racist style we adopt so often.  No benefit of the doubt for this guy.  Michael Mukasey is said to be a competent judge, but when he leaves the courtroom, he's a buddy of Rudy Giuliani, does nasty little end-runs around the truth, and will forever be naked in our eyes.  He hasn't been borked. But he is stuck in Washington, he's not wearing those protective robes, and he will be a target of scrutiny, anger, and criticism.

Given the awful clean-up job Michael Mukasey has inherited (and barely a year in which to do it), conceding him the title of attorney general on a squeaker of a vote may be the best  punishment the Senate could have meted out.