Patterico's Pontifications

8/27/2007

AG Alberto Gonzales resigns

Filed under: Current Events,Government — DRJ @ 9:17 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

From the New York Times, “embattled” Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned:

“Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, announced his resignation in Washington today, declaring that he had “lived the American dream” by being able to lead the Justice Department.”

I’m not overly fond or critical of AG Gonzales. I think he is an honorable man but he was not well-suited to be Attorney General. Still, you’d think the NY Times could be more gracious in its lead paragraph. Doesn’t the Times know not to Kick Him When He’s Down?

Patterico should be pleased to learn this when he returns since he’s already posted that Gonzales should resign. I also hope WLS will weigh in with a separate post since he forecast Gonzales’ resignation a month ago.

Until then, feel free to discuss this topic here.

17 Responses to “AG Alberto Gonzales resigns”

  1. same feeling i had about rove: i wanted the beating to go on forever. handicap the next ag!

    comey 9-2
    fitzgerald 50-1
    patterico 1000-1

    assistant devil's advocate (106f75)

  2. Fox News reports that Paul Clement, the Solicitor General, may be interim AG. I’ve also seen Chertoff mentioned.

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  3. 160024 x 10 (to the power of 3) – ada

    Christoph (92b8f7)

  4. Hugh Hewitt, 50-1

    PCD (2566fe)

  5. 160024 x 10 (to the power of 3) – ada

    In the priceless logic of Lloyd: “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  6. Deb Saunders had this nailed a long time ago, but I agree with DRJ, now that he’s going, why kick him on the way out? He wasn’t AG material.
    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/the_niceguy_attorney_general.html

    driver (faae10)

  7. Driver,

    That’s a great, painful-to-read link. Too bad the White House doesn’t read Deb Saunders more often.

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  8. President Bush should have dumped them all the moment he was elected.

    Prosecutors must always remain “above reproach.”

    Prosecutorial appointments made by felony perjurers violates that standard. They should have been removed the day Clinton left office.

    Clark Baker (fc36d5)

  9. Say, Clark…
    We’re talking about ALBERTO GONZALES here.

    What has he to do with the Clinton Admin?

    Another Drew (8018ee)

  10. Actually, I agree with Clark. It’s unfortunate that the position of US Attorney has become a partisan appointment but it has. Bush should have followed Clinton’s lead and cleaned house when he first came in office.

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  11. Goodbye and Good riddance Gulag Gonzo.

    Psyberian (9a155b)

  12. Geez the Psyberian hasn’t stuck his head up out of the muck for quite a while now.
    The New York Times can’t quite resist a Schumer (or is that Scummer?) style kick in the cojones as the guy heads for the exit. By the Albright standard (or who was that Arkansas bumpkin and watermelon stealer that Clinton had as his first AG?–How quickly we forget their names.) Gonzales was, comparatively speaking, at least an okay Attorney General. He may not have been up to the administrative tasks of the office, and I’ll buy the spin that Gonzales decided to throw in the towel himself.

    Mike Myers (2e43f5)

  13. This is a definition of “honorable” that I’m unfamiliar with.

    He was terrible. He needed to go long ago. He wasn’t honest, or hard-working, or anything. Bye-bye!

    –JRM

    JRM (355c21)

  14. JRM,

    Here is a link to and an excerpt from Alberto Gonzalez’s biography that I think would impress even the most strident opponent:

    Alberto R. Gonzales was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents, Pablo and Maria Gonzales, first met as migrant workers. They settled in Houston after Alberto was born and raised a family that would eventually number eight children. Mr. Gonzales worked in construction, and later was employed in a rice mill, but there were no luxuries for this large family. Mr. Gonzales drank heavily and the house was often filled with the sound of violent quarrels, but Gonzales’s mother instilled deep religious values in her children and encouraged them to do well in school.

    Alberto Gonzales excelled in his studies, and was an honor student in high school, but with no history of higher education in the family, he was not encouraged to attend college. Instead, he enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduation. While serving in Alaska, he was impressed with the officers’ accounts of the Air Force Academy and sought an appointment there. Once in the Air Force Academy, he found himself most intrigued by his classes in politics and government. He transferred to Rice University in Houston, graduated with honors in political science, and won admission to Harvard Law School.

    Apart from his many professional accomplishments (partner in Vinson & Elkins, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and US Attorney General), Gonzalez seems like a decent guy. Hopefully we can disagree on political issues without demonizing the people with whom we disagree.

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  15. I don’t think the NYT graf was anything other than strictly factual. If his tenure as AG was not marred by controversy and accusations of perjury, nothing was. That’s true even from the POV of the most fervent Gonzales supporter.

    He does seem to be in the running for most incompetent AG. The NYT was, in fact, pretty gracious. It didn’t mention how incompetent he was.

    Gonzales seems to be a good lawyer, but not an excellent lawyer. The difference lies in this: a good lawyer can find justification for whatever his client wants, and a legal means by which the client can attain what he wants. An excellent lawyer will know when he shouldn’t provide that justification, or persuade his client to a better option.

    kishnevi (d50358)

  16. Oh, honestly, Kishnevi.

    First, Gonzalez resigned. The Times didn’t need to twist the knife in the first sentence. They got what they wanted and the knife-twisting was overkill.

    Second, being Attorney General is as much (or more) administrator than lawyer. The DOJ didn’t melt down under Alberto Gonzalez’s tenure. He faced many important legal questions and handled them in a largely responsible, thoughtful manner. Admittedly some of the solutions were not handled the way liberals would like but the methods weren’t as overreaching as during prior administrations or as extensive as many wanted.

    Third, the main complaint about Alberto Gonzalez related to his handling of the US Attorneys. To my knowledge that is the only issue that has generated allegations like perjury. Is that the standard now? A person’s entire career and every event in his life can be shattered by what could be politically-motivated allegations relating to one episode? There isn’t a politician or person alive who could survive that standard.

    Fourth, and last, is there anything anywhere that suggests Alberto Gonzalez isn’t a decent person? He overcame a humble beginning most of us can’t even imagine. He excelled academically and professionally. He gave up a lucrative career for public service. He resigned when he felt his service was no longer effective.

    Like you, I’m glad he resigned. However, apparently unlike you, I wish him the best. What more do you want?

    DRJ (bfe07e)

  17. The Times gave the reasons for his resignation in the first sentence. Pretty relevant, I should think. And note the NYT does not state the accusations are true. Alphie calls you an idiot; you respond–we have a controversy. But the fact that there is a controversy does not mean that you actually are an idiot, or that Gonzales perjured himself. But the allegations are directly connected to his conduct in office, and at any rate that tactic has been used since politics began. Pericles was nearly run out of office by demogogues.

    From a lucrative career he came and I’m sure to a lucratice career he will return. But as a man who helped develop and put into practice the legal rationales that put the President explicitly above the law and the constitution, I can have no sympathy for him.

    kishnevi (7a9e8b)


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