Our new (proposed) AG

Detractors have said that Ashcroft, who encouraged his staff to participate in daily prayer meetings, blurred the line between religion and the government. In particular, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York told the Associated Press that he hopes "the president will choose a less polarizing attorney general as his successor."

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After Bush's announcement yesterday nominating Alberto Gonzales as Ashcroft's replacement, it would seen he has done a bad job in trying to unite the nation.

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Gonzales has been linked with Bush for the past 10 years. He was a Bush-appointed justice on the Texas Supreme Court and a Texas secretary of state. The organization Texans for Public Justice also reports that Gonzales has accepted contributions from Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton.

He was once a partner in a Houston law firm that represented Enron.

While serving as a general counsel for then-Texas Gov. Bush, Gonzales wrote 57 memos to Bush about the death penalty. The counsel that Gonzales provided "repeatedly failed to apprise the governor of crucial issues in the cases at hand: ineffective counsel, conflict of interest, mitigating evidence, even actual evidence of innocence," wrote reporter Alan Berlow in The Atlantic Monthly.

University of Central Florida article

NOW demands some scrutiny.

Gonzales is a former Houston trial lawyer and Texas Supreme Court justice. While serving on the bench, he did not excuse himself from presiding over cases involving his former client, Enron. While in Texas he also advised then-Governor George Bush on several clemency cases, helping Bush achieve an unmatched gubernatorial record for ordering executions. Since serving as White House Counsel, he has been a controversial figure in the Abu Ghraib scandal, helping the White House sidestep questions about the treatment of Iraqi prisoners.

"The Attorney General must be someone who will uphold the rule of law," said Gandy. "Gonzales' record shows that his personal opinions and commitment to the Bush administration have clouded his judgment. There must be full disclosure of his involvement in protecting the White House from releasing critical information in the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal and the war on terror. He cannot be allowed to sidestep questions about his willingness to break with the White House and enforce the law."

MensNewsDaily has the sugar...

Gonzales' history is a classic story of what is possible in America. He grew up in a two-bedroom house in Texas with his parents and seven siblings. His parents, Pablo and Maria, were migrant workers who never finished elementary school. Their son attended Rice University and Harvard Law School.

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During Ashcroft's tenure, violent crime dropped to a 30-year low, and prosecutions of crimes committed with guns have reached an all-time high. Corporate fraud and child pornography was also aggressively prosecuted under his direction.

Gonzales pledged to build upon Ashcroft's record, saying, "The American people expect and deserve a Department of Justice guided by the rule of law, and there should be no question regarding the Department's commitment to justice for every American."

But, the president, should he so choose, can actually circumvent the law, according to Gonzales' recent memos.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, welcomed Gonzales' nomination. NCLR had previously criticized the administration for not having an Hispanic in the cabinet since the departure of former HUD Secretary, now Senator-elect, Mel Martinez.

Janet Murguia, NCLR Executive Director and COO, said in a statement, "We are pleased that one of the first acts since the president's reelection both rectifies that situation and marks an historic milestone for the Latino community. Never before has an Hispanic served as head of one of the four major cabinet posts -- Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and Attorney General."

We don't care that he is all about destroying civil rights, which will put many of our own race in the wringer. We just care that he's Hispanic. Like roaches for Raid, as John Leguizamo said.

The nominee also won the approval of the Christian Coalition of America, the largest Christian grassroots organization in the United States, with more than 2 million supporters. Some religious conservatives have been cool to Gonzales due to a ruling on the Texas bench that favored abortion.

But any criticism of the nominee was not evident in the statement issued by CCA President Roberta Combs who said, "We look forward to Alberto Gonzales -- when he is confirmed as Attorney General -- continuing the tough policies instituted by Attorney General Ashcroft against terrorists which have protected America from another horrendous attack. We believe that the United States Senate will confirm him overwhelmingly."

No doubt.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.