And the Bush administration is facing major opposition to two potential nominees for key government posts. Senate Intelligence Committee members have asked the White House to withdraw its choice of John Rizzo for CIA general counsel. Concerns have been raised over Rizzo’s stance on the torture of prisoners. Rizzo told a Senate hearing in June he supported the infamous 2002 Justice Department memo that said torture would not occur unless a prisoner experiences pain serious enough to cause organ failure or death. This week a coalition of human rights groups called for rejecting Rizzo’s nomination. In a joint statement, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights and three other groups wrote: “When Mr. Rizzo failed to object to legal arguments that defended torture, he failed to protect his clients — the president, his CIA colleagues and the American people.” Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are also warning President Bush not to nominate rumored frontrunner Ted Olson for attorney general. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed Olson would not pass confirmation hearings. Olson represented Bush in the legal battle over the 2000 presidential elections.