U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has finally been shown the door, following close on the heels of Karl Rove and virtually no one has stepped forward to say "Gee, that's too bad." In fact, perhaps his one redeeming feature was that he was finally able to unite Democrats and Republicans in their demands for his resignation.
Gonzales was the bumbling, lying clown that sat in front of congressional committees and told them that, gee whiz, he had no idea at all about pretty much anything that was happening around him. Apparently, he was just too darn busy doing crossword puzzles to pay attention to what was going on in his Justice Department.
What's that you say, someone fired a bunch of U.S. Attorneys because they weren't playing ball with the administration? Nope, I never heard anything about that. I harrassed a sick man in the hospital to get him to sign off on illegal wiretapping? Nah, I was just there to bring him a box of chocolates.
His resignation comes just days after Bush re-iterated his support for Gonzales, saying "Why should he resign? He's done nothing wrong." Of course, when Bush talks about right and wrong, you have to remember that he apparently uses different definitions for those words than the rest of us.
Although it's easy to blame Gonzales (way too easy), it's Bush who is really at fault. Once again, he placed a person in a vital position of power in the U.S. government, not based on his ability, but based on his loyalty to him. It's his standard operating procedure. When selecting an Attorney General of the United States, the most important thing in the president's mind is to make sure that person will do his bidding, be his lap dog. Let's not worry about finding someone who is competent and capable, or about the equal administration of justice. Such quaint ideas, anyway.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Nancy
What a pity Dubya & Cheney haven't been packed off as well. Hopefully their time is coming. Meanwhile, I suppose Junior will further debase the Medal of Freedom by bestowing it on both Rove & Gonzales, even as he nominates Chertoff (!?!) to replace Gonzie. That's one thing you have to say about George W. Bush: he never forgets a mistake; therefore he's able to keep making the same one over & over & over & over & over ....
2 - handyguy
The man is such a pitiful, incompetent bumbler I almost feel sorry for him.
The unfortunate thing now is that the hearings for his replacement will become an ugly argument about which party is tough enough on terrorism. The Fox News bloviators were predicting that this will benefit Republicans. It will actually, of course, benefit no one at all.
3 - moonraven
If I have time later today I will put up a translation of part of today's editorial regarding Gonzales from La Jornada.
It's highly relevant as Gonzales has certainly not helped the image of folks descended from Mexican undocumented workers in the US.
By the way, it's not Berto, but Beto.
4 - Baronius
I had been looking forward to a BC article on Gonzales. This article disappointed me. There are so many interesting angles that could have been pursued: why Gonzales had no support from Right or Left, why he was targeted by Congress, how he lost Bush's support, et cetera.
5 - moonraven
Baronius, You are asking for a different artcile--clearly from the standpoint of supporting the Bush Gang.
You cannot expect folks who disagree with your political stance to write articles that reflect your point of view.
That is carrying egocentricity to a new low on this site.
Write your own fucking article.
6 - bliffle
Gonzales said that his worst day was better than his fathers best day. I assume he was speaking about finance and not virtue. Shows you what his values are.
One has to laugh when Bush says a good man was driven from office by a slimy campaign. This, from a guy whose entire campaign was based on smears.
Gonzales wasn't very good anyhow. His willingness to be manipulated by his boss and NOT standup for his office and the people who pay his salary makes him nothing more than a willing puppet. He did it for the money, both in office and rewards afterwards.
7 - JustOneMan
Who's to Blame for Alberto Gonzales?
Affirmative action...
8 - bliffle
Baronius: let me give it a try:
"why Gonzales had no support from Right or Left,"
He never could get left support because this admin was aggressively partisan. They kissed that off at the very beginning.
He lost right support when his aggressive pursuit of the phantom of Executive Privilege endangered Congress' independent autonomy and opportunity to plunder the budget for their own enrichment. Gonzales was easy to throw to the hounds. Real easy.
" why he was targeted by Congress,"
They need re-election so they had to respond in SOME way to the cursed voters, and Gonzales was easy to throw to the hounds. Real easy.
" how he lost Bush's support,"
he was no longer useful. Loyalty only works one way with Bush/Cheney. Gonzales was easy to throw to the hounds. Real easy.
9 - Clavos
"Gonzales was easy to throw to the hounds. Real easy."
And well he should have been, once he ceased being useful.
At least they didn't arrange an accident....
10 - moonraven
Affirmative Action was NOT to blame for Gonzales.
George W. Bush was to blame for Gonzales--and Speedy himself, of course.
As well as the US people--who supported this parasitical and fanatical regime.
I guess that means most of YOU are to blame.
11 - moonraven
Clavos,
Avionazos and helicopterazos are for folks who OPPOSE them (Wellstone, Torrijos, et al.)
Not for folks who do a heck of a job for them.
12 - Clavos
Bad mistake on their part, mr.
He has too much insider knowledge, which will inevitably appear in print before long.
I'd have done him in.
Leave no wits.
13 - moonraven
YOU would have done him in because of your racist belief system.
Not because of his insider knowledge. Everyone on the inside has insider knowledge.
I did not see your commenting about doing in Karl Rove--whose insider knowledge is much greater.
14 - moonraven
Okay, pinche brit, where is my reply to Clavos?
15 - JustOneMan
"Affirmative Action was NOT to blame for Gonzales." WRONG
Because of liberal loom policies the unqualified are admitted to college and law school...
JOM
16 - moonraven
Wrong again.
You, for example [Personal attack deleted] don't have a law degree from Harvard or Yale.
But George Bush, for example, was admitted to both Harvard and Yale. He was clearly not qualified even for Gonzales's father's job as a bricklayer.
Liberal LOOM (what kind of weaving device is that?) policies had nothing to do with it.
His father's influence, however, had EVERYTHING to do with it.
Gonzales may have been perfectly "qualified". The problem was that he is greedy, has the morals of a jackal and is a perfect toady.
Only his tendency to "toad" could even remotely be tied to his ethnic background.
17 - JustOneMan
Monnraven [Personal attack deleted] Whats wrong with a being a bricklayer?
And if we keep lowering standards for minorities we better get used to those more quailifed to be dishwashers and landscapers as our attorney general..
18 - moonraven
Nothing is wrong with being a bricklayer, JOM. It, unlike abusing and abrogating the law, is an honorable profession.
I am not concerned with lowering standards for minorities.
[Personal attack deleted]
When did you become an expert in ornithology? Do they allow folks who didn't finish high school into those fairly arcane specialties now?
[Personal attack deleted]
My nombre de guerra clearly indicates that I am a raven. Although ravens imitate many sounds--including those of the guitar of Carlos Santana and the saxaphone of Gato Barbieri--that of the loon is not among the preferred.
19 - Baronius
Bliffle - those answers seem superficial. For one thing, Gonzales never had strong Republican support because he was perceived as pro-choice. There was extra resistance to him from the Democrats in preparation for a possible SCOTUS nomination fight. He didn't have any friends in Washington other than the President, no constituency, and he didn't play the race card. He didn't have a chorus of defenders in the papers, so he probably wasn't a leaker. There are a lot of things that have to fall in place to gain or to lose a position of power.
20 - moonraven
There is only one card that needs to fall into place, Baronius, and even YOU should know it: Presidential selection.
It's called El dedazo (the finger) here in Latin America.
Gonzales of all people should be very familiar with its function.
21 - handyguy
His 'performances' before congressional committees were just...painful. Embarrassing.
[BTW, JOM's facetiously citing 'affirmative action' as what we should blame for AG is of course unfunny but also way off-target. And blatantly racist. If you have nothing more meaningful than that to add, please don't bother.]
22 - Clavos
"It's called El dedazo (the finger) here in Latin America.
Actually, it's "the fingering," mr.
El dedo is "the finger."
23 - moonraven
True, literally. But; Some phrases do not translate well; unfortunately the fingering, like the term giving the finger to, has a negative connotation when applied, whereas el dedazo implies singling one out for political power.
[Edited]
24 - bliffle
"Gonzales never had strong Republican support because he was perceived as pro-choice."
For the fundamentalists that made him easy to throw to the hounds. Real easy.
25 - JustOneMan
Moonraven...so if a "rich white guy" gets into Harvard or Yale..they are unqualified or its because of their dad...however if a wet back or beaner gets in they are "perfectly qualified".
Who is the racist???
JOM