John EdwardsAmericans across the country have been calling for months for Alberto Gonzales to resign, and now, the man who oversaw a political purge of U.S. Attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay and approved illegal spying on Americans has stepped down -- this is a victory for all of us.The truth is Alberto Gonzales should have resigned months ago. While this news is "better late than never," the fight is far from over. Now is the time for a new direction. Instead of replacing him with another political insider, we need to make sure that President Bush replaces him with someone who is essentially nonpolitical, highly qualified, competent, independent and who will protect our civil liberties and the Constitution. That's what the Justice Department needs, particularly in the aftermath of Gonzales.
I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda, and so I am pleased that he has finally resigned today. The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people's lawyer, not the President's lawyer, and in an Obama administration that person will first and foremost defend and promote the rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution.
He demonstrated that his loyalties lie with the president and his political agenda, not the American people or the evenhanded and impartial enforcement of our laws. ... My hope is that the president will select a new attorney general who will respect the rule of law and abandon partisanship, who will serve the American people and not the president's political ideology, and who will answer to the Constitution and not political operatives.
The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is long overdue. The President must nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people not a political arm of the White House.
"The Attorney General may be gone, but the Bush Administration's policies of warrant-less wiretapping, electronic eavesdropping, and
domestic spying - all in violation of the U.S. Constitution - will remain in place and are certain to be expanded unless the U.S. Congress exhibits some backbone and repeals the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)."While some may applaud the resignation as some sort of victory, the underlying abuses of Americans' Constitutional rights and civil liberties authorized by the Congress through the so-called Patriot Act and the recently approved amendments to FISA will continue unabated.
"Until we address those abuses and challenge those laws, it doesn't really matter who the Attorney General is."
Chris Dodd
"I will only vote to confirm a nominee for attorney general who is truly independent and who will guarantee reforms that restore and uphold the Constitution."
As I've said before, Attorney General Gonzales has lost the confidence of the vast majority of the American people and the Congress. His resignation is long overdue. When I voted against Attorney General Gonzales' confirmation, I voiced concern about his ability to go from being the President's lawyer to the people's lawyer. I expressed doubts then about his judgment in light of his track record, and role as an architect of policies attempting to place the President above the law. My skepticism was confirmed by his conduct, and his failure to put protecting the American people over protecting the President. The next Attorney General should not make the same mistake.
Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House.
"This is a great, great development. ...The next attorney general has to understand that his primary loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law and that sometimes he has to tell the president no."
Moo moo, my bad.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said that Gonzales was "hounded" from office as part of a partisan ploy led by Schumer. Cornyn: "This is a sad day for our country."
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House Min. Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) also praised Gonzales' public service. Blunt: "The life of Alberto Gonzales has been defined by his devotion to family and deep commitment to public service. ... He presided over a time of great consequence and tremendous challenge in our nation's history" (Reilly, Politico.com, 8/27).
I vote for Cornyn, personally. How about you?
In Waco, President Bush said he had accepted the resignation reluctantly. He praised his old friend as "a man of integrity, decency and principle" and complained of the "months of unfair treatment" that preceded the resignation."It's sad," Mr. Bush said, asserting that Mr. Gonzales's name had been "dragged through the mud for political reasons."
Source: New York Times
PUHleeez. So long Abu.