Alberto Gonzales Must Go
The idea of the Justice Department being under the direction and control of the executive is enough cause for concern. After all, Janet Reno refused to conduct an in-house investigation into the Clinton’s variety of alleged misdeeds, never mind the infamous Saturday Night Massacre perpetrated by Nixon trying to shut down the investigation into his own ethical lapses.
However, time and time again, Alberto Gonzales has refused to treat his responsibilities and duties at the Justice Department with the a-partisan caution and neutrality that such a highly visible positions requires. Mr. Gonzales no longer is an employee of the West Wing. Rather, he is a cabinet secretary, not a partisan shrill. Time and time again, the political ideology of the Bush administration has come before Justice, and before the law.
Gonzales was entitled to fire the U.S. Attorneys who worked for his department, even for partisan reasons. He was not entitled to act as a shield for the Bush Administration, and lie to the American people and to Congress. He was not entitled to injure the good names of hard-working career attorneys and prosecutors in the press, who were not, in fact, “underperforming,” but whose only misdoing was simply not attacking the Bush Administration’s political opponents with enough zeal. He was not entitled to allow the FBI to abuse national security letters, and betray the trust of the American people.
Alberto Gonzales in unfit to lead a Department called Justice. He has demonstrated himself, time after time, unable to seperate his partisan loyalties towards from his oath to defend the constitution. Its time for Mr. Gonzales to step down.
However, time and time again, Alberto Gonzales has refused to treat his responsibilities and duties at the Justice Department with the a-partisan caution and neutrality that such a highly visible positions requires. Mr. Gonzales no longer is an employee of the West Wing. Rather, he is a cabinet secretary, not a partisan shrill. Time and time again, the political ideology of the Bush administration has come before Justice, and before the law.
Gonzales was entitled to fire the U.S. Attorneys who worked for his department, even for partisan reasons. He was not entitled to act as a shield for the Bush Administration, and lie to the American people and to Congress. He was not entitled to injure the good names of hard-working career attorneys and prosecutors in the press, who were not, in fact, “underperforming,” but whose only misdoing was simply not attacking the Bush Administration’s political opponents with enough zeal. He was not entitled to allow the FBI to abuse national security letters, and betray the trust of the American people.
Alberto Gonzales in unfit to lead a Department called Justice. He has demonstrated himself, time after time, unable to seperate his partisan loyalties towards from his oath to defend the constitution. Its time for Mr. Gonzales to step down.
