Alberto Gonzales Editorial Roundup: "Good riddance" to Gonzales

August 28, 2007 -- After years of misleading the public and promoting illegal government action, Alberto Gonzales finally resigned his post as attorney general yesterday. One of the many "loyal Bushies" to resign recently under a cloud of scandal, Gonzales had lost the confidence of the American people long ago. Editorials from around the country are echoing the sentiments of the American people, who are glad to see Gonzales go but reluctant to believe the Bush White House will turn over a new leaf and put their poisonous brand of partisan politics behind them. Having "tarnished the reputation of the Justice Department by subordinating the interests of justice to the service of politics," his "greatest service to the nation during his tenure as U.S. attorney general is his resignation," but the "political reality is that Bush is a lame duck president with an inner circle that is emptying out."

The following are excerpts from recent editorials from across the country:

Kansas City Star: Gonzales put politics above the law. "Bush's attempt to turn the tables -- accusing critics in Congress of creating a 'harmful distraction' -- only shows his own lack of respect for the separation of politics and justice….Bush's defiant rebuke to Gonzales' critics -- a group that includes some leading Republicans--raises doubts about his ability to select an attorney general who will restore professionalism and morale in the Justice Department." [Kansas City Star, 8/27/07, http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/249494.html]

St. Petersburg Times: Gonzales made justice the servant of politics. "President Bush has it backward. In announcing his acceptance of Alberto Gonzales' resignation, Bush complained his attorney general's 'good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.' Actually, it was Gonzales who tarnished the reputation of the Justice Department by subordinating the interests of justice to the service of politics….The rule of law is not some empty slogan. It is the foundation of this nation, and the next appointee needs to understand that his fealty is to the law and not to the man who gave his career a boost. The political reality is that Bush is a lame duck president with an inner circle that is emptying out." [St. Petersburg Times, 8/28/07, http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/28/Opinion/Gonzales_made_justice.shtml]

Journal News (New York): Lessons in accountability. "'I have lived the American dream,' Gonzales said in announcing his resignation yesterday. For the rest of the nation, which has suffered too long Gonzales' tortured memory and disregard for our civil liberties and sensibilities, it has been more like a nightmare. Good riddance." [Journal News (New York), 8/28/07, http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070828/
OPINION/708280321/1015/OPINION01]

Chicago Sun-Times: Revive justice: Replace Gonzales with someone who will protect our liberties. "We're glad to see Albert Gonzales go -- finally. On his watch, politics colored the workings of the Justice Department through the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. And Americans' dearly held rights to privacy were systematically trashed by warrantless wiretapping. Enough of that. Gonzales, whose resignation this newspaper called for in March and again in July, should have quit months ago….Realistically, we can't expect much of a change. Gonzales did, after all, do Bush's bidding. He got the president's steadfast support in return. On Monday, Bush spoke bitterly of how Gonzales' good name was 'dragged through the mud for political reasons.'" [Chicago Sun-Times, 8/28/07, http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/530514,CST-EDT-edits28a.article]

Seattle Times: Gonzales' gift: His resignation. "It is a sad commentary that Alberto Gonzales' greatest service to the nation during his tenure as U.S. attorney general is his resignation….The Bush White House played a role too in the obfuscation, successfully urging former advisers not to testify. Gonzales' resignation should not dissuade Congress from its search for the truth. That Gonzales crossed the line so easily and apparently so often is a lesson that history deserves." [Seattle Times, 8/28/07, link ]

Source: DNC

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