Posted on 11/10/2004 5:52:25 PM PST by rmlew
According to this article, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales is the leading candidate to replace John Ashcroft as Attorney General.
This column by Robert Novak, written in January 2003, suggests that Gonzales is no friend of conservatives. An excerpt:
Gonzales's views on affirmative action became widely known in Washington last year when, at a meeting of the conservative Federalist Society, he announced his support of preferences....
[When he served on the Texas Supreme Court, he] had pulled the Texas court leftward, including decisions favorable to trial lawyers on tort cases. What most disturbed conservatives was his majority opinion invalidating a statute requiring parental notification of abortion by a minor. Democratic senators who last year blocked confirmation of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen as a federal appellate judge repeatedly cited Gonzales's attack on her minority opinion as an "unconscionable act of judicial activism."
That alone led prominent Catholic conservatives and other foes of abortion to inform the White House that Gonzales is unacceptable for the high court.
The problem with Al Gonzales as AG is his failure to oppose racial preferences. He played a critical role in watering down the administration’s briefs in the University of Michigan cases, and generally has the reputation for being a squish on this issue. The Dems will try to extract promises during the hearings that he will continue this lackluster record; Republicans should push him to mend his ways. Specter will join the Dems.
Michelle Malkin cites two stories on Gonzales. http://michellemalkin.com/archives/000840.htm
If you support affirmative discrimination, unimpeded trial lawyers, and abortions for minors, you will love Gonzales.
If personel is policy, then the Bush administration is tacking left.
Millions of Americans voted for Bush on social issues and to ensure that the Judiciary is run by people who believe in the Constitution. Between tacit support for Spector and the appointment of Gonzales, Bush has not waited untill all the votes are counted in the election before betraying his socially-conservative and Constitutionalist base.
We are stuck depending on Senate Republicans to break with the administration and defend the Constitution. We will soon see if any of the Senators hoping to run in 2008 are worth supporting.
We, the grassroots should give them, a push.
Attempt to mend the divisions magnified by the election?
I wonder what Santorum's gonna do. He's about the toughest we've got at this point, isn't he? Who are the front line conservatives? Most of our big names are fairly moderate. Help me out. Gimme 5 good solid conservative senators.
what an idiotic post. judge gonzales has been by the president's side for the last four years. he developed the legal strategy for the war on terror. he advised the president to seek a constitutional amendment to protect marriage. he has given the president a slew of conservative judicial nominees for the appellate courts. and he advised the president to sign the ban on partial birth abortion. what's not to like about that? he's clearly in the conservative mainstream, even if we don't like his position on one case about racial preferences. when are we going to learn -- you can't build a majority by imposing a 100 percent purity test on all appointees.
I agree....and as an employee of the Dept of Justice, let me tell you, we were happy has hell thast this is our new boss and there were alot of tears flowing today listening to his statement at the announcement of his nomination. in addition, i saw him speak at an event in houston 8 years ago and he was wonderful....he truly is the american dream come true! Go Alberto!
Is Gonzalez going to the Judiciary? Then what does all this fluff about 'invalidating' Texas law have to do with it? And he never invalidated a Texas law....... pure horse manure
I think the dems should (they won't) try to heal divisions because if they continue tacking left, they will have another 2002 in 2006 and another 2004 in 2008. Even James Carville and Clinton said that. Of course, they both want Hillary in 2008, so she will be moving right for the next four.
I think Bush is rewarding a friend. He has always been known to be loyal to a fault and he probably thinks this is a temporary position (4 years) not lifetime, to use to pay Gonazalez back for his loyalty to Bush. After all, Gonazalez could have gone into private practice and made a whole lot more $$$$$$$$$$.
"Attempt to mend the divisions magnified by the election?"
Mending does not include placing in leadership persons disposed to take the Party more to the left.
We'll have to wait and see, but if Bush keeps this up, he will substantially lose the support of conservatives (who gave him the victory).
He's going to need that support a lot throughout the next four years, so he better tread carefully with these appointments.
People are just out and out tired of these political games.
They're not going to support it anymore.
Gonzales?
Immigration laws???
We don't NEED NO STEENKIN' IMMIGRATION LAWS!!!
conservatives = whiners eh?
Thanks for pointing out the difference between conservatives and republicans again.
Don't try to put words into my statement.
Conservatives must oppose Gonzales.
If standing up for the Constitution makes my a whiner, then I'll be a Weiner before standing aside as Bush and Schumer agree on a liberal AG.
What is his biggest drawback as an AG?
Are you nuts? Gonzales bad on the death penalty? Check out the Atlantic Monthly article criticizing Gonzales for backing so many executions in Texas. On abortion, what do you know about the guy -- he's backing the partial birth abortion ban and used to head catholic charities in Texas. Get some facts. And if he's untouchable for his role in the affirmative action case, then so is the President who took exactly the same position. Gonzales is a hard-ass, who'll take the fight to the terrorists and who will fill DOJ slots with solid conservatives. Stop your whining.
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