Notes on Gonzales

By Scott Horton

And Then There Were Six (Republican Congressmen Calling on Gonzales to Go)

The number of Republicans in Congress calling on Gonzales to go rises to six with an announcement from Vern Ehlers of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ehlers' statement was engaging on another point. Ehlers told the Grand Rapids Press that Gonzales had mishandled the situation with the U.S. attorneys, but what really bugged him about

Gonzales was his interpretation of how much abuse Al Qaeda detainees could endure before it violated international bans on torture. “His writings implied torture was OK, although he insisted that wasn't the case,” Ehlers said.

Indeed. In my book all of Gonzales' failings proceed from that one, colossal, humiliating mistake.

Newt Says Gonzales Must Go

Now the first of the Republican presidential contenders to address the issue says Gonzales must resign. Speaking on Sunday, Newt Gingrich remarked

“The public would be much better served to have another attorney general,” said Gingrich.... “I cannot imagine how he's going to be effective for the rest of his administration. They're going to be involved in endless hearings.”

Gonzales and the Kerik Nomination

President Bush's original choice to succeed Tom Ridge as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was former NYC Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, a strong recommendation of Rudolph Giuliani. Kerik had overcome a difficult background – as the son of a prostitute with little formal education – to be a tough-guy law enforcement official at a time of crisis. The turning point in his career was being assigned to be a bodyguard for Giuliani, who was so taken with him that he brought Kerik to the top of the New York City bureaucracy in record time and then made him a business partner. Kerik's rapid rise obscured some very dark dealings, which have led to multiple criminal investigations, and one conviction already behind him.

Now the Washington Post reports that the decision to push Kerik forward as a cabinet nominee for one of the most sensitive positions in government – brushing aside the usual FBI investigation – was essentially the work of one man: Alberto Gonzales. Moreover, it makes clear that Gonzales took over even after the basic facts that led to withdrawal of Kerik's nomination (and later, to full-fledged criminal investigations) had come out.

Bush's top lawyer, Alberto R. Gonzales, took charge of the vetting, repeatedly grilling Kerik about the issues that had been raised. In the end, despite the concerns, the White House moved forward with his nomination—only to have it collapse a week later.

This episode is likely to be added to the pile of questions about Gonzales' judgment as an attorney. But the way he exercises his judgment has been remarkably consistent. The president gets just what he wants: no ifs, ands or buts.

Alberto Gonzáles debe dejar el cargo

As I noted two weeks ago, the press in Latin America has been reasonably uniform in its assessment of the flap surrounding Alberto Gonzales. One might think that they would flock to the side of the first Hispanic attorney general in the history of the North American republic. But in fact the take has been acid criticism – Gonzales was viewed as a man selected for personal fidelity to Bush rather than distinction as a lawyer, indeed, Gonzales' commitment to the law was severely challenged.

Now the Spanish-language press in America has spoken up, almost in unison. A joint editorial running today in La Raza and La Opinión, the leading Spanish-language papers in Los Angeles and Chicago, deal a strong blow to Gonzales. Under a headline reading “Gonzales should quit,” the papers write:

The firings of the U.S. attorneys is sufficient cause for doubting his capacity for distinguishing his loyalty to President George W. Bush from his duty to citizens. But the straw that broke the camel’s back is the contradiction between his testimony that he was unaware of what his subordinates had done and his active participation in the meetings, as evidenced by the department’s internal communications.

The problem is that Gonzales failed badly in this matter and, for the good of the country, he should quit. It is no surprise that President Bush would defends his friend, a fellow Texan, but restoring the country’s confidence in the department of Justice is more important than personal friendship.

Presumably Hispanics are all in favor of Hispanics serving in high office. But they place a higher value on justice and institutional integrity. So should we all.