Glad handing and back slapping everyone in sight on his way to his seat in the Senate hearing last Thursday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales did not appear to be someone who’s job was on the line. However, once the questioning began, it quickly became apparent the niceties were over. The questions were brutal, but the answers were not forthcoming.
He cajoled and denied, he frowned and grimaced, he stalled and stammered, he argued and apologized. In fact, Gonzales did just about everything but give a straight answer to any question. He answered with “I can’t recall” 74 times to the frustration and disgust of the Senators on the panel.
“All of America saw why so many of us had felt for so long that he shouldn’t be attorney,” said Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y), a Judiciary committee member. “He was not in command of the facts. He contradicted himself. And he doesn’t really appreciate the role of attorney general.”
In an e-mail to the Associated Press, Schumer maintained that Gonzales should step down as soon as possible.
It wasn’t just Democrats calling for his ouster as Republicans also called for his resignation, including Senators John Sununu of New Hampshire and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
In fact, the only person who seemed pleased with Gonzales’ testimony was President Bush, who stated, “The attorney general went up to Capitol Hill and gave a very candid assessment, and answered every question he could possibly answer, honestly answer, in a way that increased my confidence in his ability to do the job.” (L.A. Times 4/24/07)
Increased his confidence in his ability to do the job? One wonders if Bush even listened to any of the testimony, and all the “I can’t recalls”. However, if Gonzales’ job is to provide a smoke screen to detract from further investigation in the White House, then, yes, he is doing a fine job. And he apparently intends to stay the course, stating, “As long as I think that I can be effective and the president believes that I should continue….I’ll continue serving as the attorney general.” (L.A. Times 4/24/07)
Since he hasn’t been very effective since taking the job of attorney general, that seems more of a threat than a promise. Throughout his testimony it quickly became apparent that he seemed out of touch with all the activity going on in his office, letting young, unqualified subordinates make significant decisions, including what U.S. attorneys should be fired. He was pointedly vague about his involvement.
Gonzales did try to make a show of force on the day he testified, however, by having federal agents raid the office of the wife of Representative Rick Renzi (R- AZ). The investigation, initiated last November by Paul Charlton, one of the eight fired U.S. attorneys, involves accusations that Renzi improperly used his influence as a congressman to engineer a land swap benefiting a business associate. Why did it become so important after languishing for 6 months?
As David Wald, chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, said in a statement, “After half a year of sitting on this probe, the Department of Justice pursues it on the very day that Attorney General Gonzales is called before Congress for firing the very prosecutor who opened the Renzi investigation in the first place.”
Mr. Wald continued, “the dots are connected, and they lead right back to the attorney general’s doorstep.” (NY Times, 4/21/07)
He has not been an effective attorney general during his time in office, his testimony on Capitol Hill was dismal and it appears the only support he has is from the president. Republicans are lining up to chastise him and call for his resignation, fearing backlash at election time. It’s time for ‘Gonzales the Smokescreen’ to go, so the Senate Judiciary Committee can go after the real culprit - Karl Rove.
“Today on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth. Then everybody had a good laugh and went back to business.
Jay Leno 4/19/07
Cheri Cabot, Politics Correspondent
Cheri’s column, “Personal About Politics”, published every Tuesday, will reflect on how the life of a 57 year-old, middle class woman is affected by politics, policy and the current state of the nation - a look at the personal aspects of politics. The articles will be posted to Politics.gather.com as part of Gather Essentials.
Cheri is a single teacher and writer, living in Southern California. She has two grown children, one in Iowa and one at Columbia University, and is the proud grandmother of two. Cheri is also a purveyor of fine coffee, warm chatter and dry wit.
You can find all of Cheri’s columns on Personal About Politics at www.ccabot.gather.com. Keep up with Cheri’s other postings and Gather activity by joining her Gather network at www.ccabot.gather.com, and select the orange “Connect” button on the left-hand side of the page.
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Comments: 37
However, we're stuck with him, because President Bush has folded his arms across his chest, stuck out his lower lip in that monkeylike I'm-the-boss-stop-making-fun-of-me grimace, and dug in his heels. It doesn't matter if he's wrong and doesn't matter if he knows he's wrong: he's sticking by his appointee out of nothing but mulishness, as he did with Rumsfeld and Harriet Meiers and Lewis Libby right up 'til the last minute. Our country isn't being run by a President -- it's being run by an eight-year-old who's never heard the word "no" and thought it applied to him.
Great job, Cheri.
Impeach gonzo/cheney/bush now!!!
This administration has been all about putting foxes in charge of the hen house. Gonzales instead of being the sttourney for the country and protecting the constitution has steadily tried to find this administration ways around it. To say this is the worst administration this country has ever seen in an understatement. The only good I can take from all of this is that it should be a very long time before another reublican gets into the white house and has this amount of unchallenged power. These evil men have done thier damage.
From my perspective Gonzales needs to go. If he's lying or covering up, then he has no business as Attorney General. If he's telling the absolute truth then he has Alzheimer's and should be seeking adequate medical treatment, but again he has no business being attorney general when his memory is that faulty.
The only thing keeping him in office is, as Kris so aptly put it, Mr. Bush's mule-headed refusal to admit when he's wrong.
Lest you think this veers from your topic, I shall say this: Dubbya did not get the help he needed, not then, not now. His decisions continue to be deplorable.
I do hope this attorneygate thing becomes VERY big.
The whole bunch should resign.
Obviously his job is to obscure the truth as much as he possibly can.
If Gonzales truly doesn't remember as much as he claims to have forgotten, then his Alzheimer's is more advanced than we think:) ☻
As Kris W. stated GWB is acting like a stubborn, spoiled child who has never heard the word 'no' applied to his desires.
I agree with you about Arlen Specter. He really ripped into Gonzales when he said "I always come prepared to any hearings."
Specter tore into him and asked "Are you always prepared when you give press conferences?" referring to the press conference when Gonzales said he had nothing to do with the firings and knew nothing about them. It was great! You can see the clip on YouTube.
Just another Jester in the Court of King George.
Namaste, Wayne
I am frustrated too, but injustice is injustice, and it needs to be addressed. Bush needs to understand that he is not a despotic king who can decide what is moral and what is right on a daily basis. Hang in there Ron, the Dems may redeem themselves yet. I think they understand that the people are ready for a change on both sides of the political fence; they are just laying the groundwork at the moment.
Everyone else...
The Patriot Act is high on my priority list too. Gonzales has been involved in so many questionable events and he makes me ashamed of being Hispanic. His kowtowing to the Bush administration implies that in order to be a good minority you must still listen to your "master."
Politics, although being a part of this action against the office of the attorney general, (no caps given since it appears to be a joke), is always going to be the agenda, and has since the beginning of our nation. There are serious issues which are confronting Americans today, from loss of civil liberties, education, homelessness, the elimination of the middle class, health care, social security, the murder of our young men and women, the war on Islam, the war on terror, drugs and the war on drugs, corruption in local, state and federal governments, and many more. If the Democrats truly want to do right by the American people that they represent, they need to kick it in gear and get moving! NOW! Gonzales is a start, but don't lose the ability to see the forest through the trees!
I am not sure that anything will be accomplished as long as Bush is in office. I have friends who believe that the Patriot Act provisions are there so that Mr. Bush can make a power grab at the last minute and refuse to step down or allow elections to be held in 2008. What I am sure about is that it may take generations to repair the damage he's done to the United States and to our image abroad.
A scary thought which I have entertained in passing, but after you put it in print, I'm getting more fearful...
The generations of repair are not far from the truth. You know the GOP will use any of this to blame on any Democratic President the closer we get to 2012! The scary part is so many Americans have short term memory only, and will actually buy some of the garbage out there! Keep the faith Carolyn!
It is very disheartening, and I can't help but think my grandchildren will question me at somepoint in the future, and say "What the heck were the American people thinking, G'amma?" Sadly, I won't have a valid answer.
Yes, Sean, we can't lose hope. I won't.
Cheri, I actually watched that Specter moment live on CNN and got to watch Jeffrey Toobin's mouth drop open in surprise in the little CNN window off to the side. I laughed out loud; then I just sighed...
Now with the Dems thin majority, we the public are finally able to get some oversight and it's bound to give us the willies. A majority voted for this "fun guy", over the "wonk" back in 2000. Anyone want a do over on THAT one? Actually a majority didn't but why flog that dead horse.........maybe it's time to get rid of the Electoral College, then the majority would be represented.
Gonzalez is just the latest embarassing boil that begs to be lanced. At least with the Nixon administration they aspired to "plausible deniability." These clowns don't even worry about being plausible!!!! insert W's full body "what me worry" chuckle.