Replies

“The small handful of liberal Democrats playing politics with the nomination of Judge Alberto Gonzales know that from Texas to Washington, he has consistently upheld the highest standards of his profession, and that he will continue to do so as attorney general. That is why there is broad support for Judge Gonzales among Democrats, and that is why he will be overwhelmingly confirmed when the Senate votes on his nomination.”
-RNC Spokesman Danny Diaz

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT
ALBERTO GONZALES

Key Members Of Congress:

Ranking Judiciary Member Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT): “I Like And Respect Judge Gonzales And Look Forward To Our Committee’s Consideration Of His Nomination.” (“Verbatim” Roll Call, 11/15/04)

Judiciary Member Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY): “I’m Favorably Inclined [To Support Alberto Gonzales].” (“Washington In Brief,” The Washington Post, 12/2/04)

Judiciary Member Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE): “I Think He’s A Pretty Solid Guy.” (David E. Sanger and Eric Lichtblau, “Bush Quickly Picks Chief Counsel As Nominee for Attorney General,” The New York Times, 11/11/04)

Judiciary Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA): “From My Extensive Contacts Over The Past Four Years With White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, I Think He Will Make An Excellent Attorney General.” (“Verbatim” Roll Call, 11/15/04)

Fmr. Judiciary Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): “His Legal, Military, Government And Professional Experience Has Proven To Be A Great Asset To Our Country During Very Trying Times.” (“Verbatim” Roll Call, 11/15/04)

Judiciary Member Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): “The President Has Chosen Wisely With This Appointment And Certainly One That’s So Important At This Time In Our Nation’s History, And As We Continue To Prosecute The War On Terror.” (“Verbatim” Roll Call, 11/15/04)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT): “But Counsel Gonzales, Judge Gonzales, Again I Don’t Agree With Him On Everything. We’ve Had Some Back And Forth On Some Stuff, But He’s Very Smart, Very Fair, And Again, He Has The President’s Confidence.” (Fox News’ “Hannity And Colmes,” 11/16/04)

Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA), Vice Chairman, Congressional Hispanic Caucus: “You’ve Got To Compliment That. At Least They Are Making The Outreach Effort At The National Level.” (Hans Nichols, “Hispanic Caucus Blasts DNC,” The Hill, 12/15/04)

Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), House Democrat Caucus Chair: “These Appointments Mean A Lot In The Latino Community … [A] Hispanic Attorney General - That Means Something. … These Aren’t ‘Tokens.’ This Is Real.” (Joe Klein, “The Benetton-Ad Presidency,” Time, 12/27/04)

Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO): “I Told [Gonzales] I Expected To Support Him.” (Mike Soraghan, “Salazar Supports Bush On Migrants,” The Denver Post, 11/19/04)

Prominent Democrat Officials, Pundits And Supporters:

Former Clinton HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros: “In The 36 Years That I Have Voted, I Have Supported And Voted For Only One Republican. That Was When Alberto Gonzales Ran For Election To The Texas Supreme Court.” (Henry Cisneros, Op-Ed, “Gonzales Is Good for America,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/5/05)
· Cisneros: “His Confirmation By The Senate Can Be Part Of America's Steady March Toward Liberty And Justice For All.” (Henry Cisneros, Op-Ed, “Gonzales Is Good for America,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/5/05)

CNN’s Paul Begala: “I Know Him A Little Bit From Texas Days. He’s A Fine Choice. And I Hope The Senate Does Confirm Him.” (CNN’s “Crossfire,” 11/10/04)
· Begala: “I Hope All The Democrats Vote For Alberto Gonzales To Be The Attorney General, Because He’s Highly Qualified, And To My Knowledge, He Has Never Lied To Us.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 11/16/04)

Houston Attorney And Dem Party Fundraiser Roland Garcia: “He’s [A] Hometown Boy Done Good. He Knows The Difficulties Of Life In The Barrio, As Well As The Concerns Of The Business Community.” (Maria Recio And John Moritz, “Gonzales Rose From Poverty,” Fort Worth Star Telegram, 11/11/04)

Prominent Vinson & Elkins Attorney Ben Sheppard, Jr.: “I’m A Yellow Dog Democrat And I Couldn’t Be Happier. Al Will Bring The Kind Of Balance And Perspective To The Office That Is Sorely Needed.” (Maria Recio And John Moritz; “Gonzales Rose From Poverty,” Fort Worth Star Telegram, 11/11/04)

Key Third Party Organizations:

National Council Of La Raza Executive Director Janet Murguia: “We Are Very Encouraged By The Gonzales Nomination.” (National Council Of La Raza, “NCLR Welcomes Nomination Of Gonzales To Serve As Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/10/04)

League Of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Executive Committee Unanimously Endorsed Gonzales And Called For Senate To “Quickly Confirm Him…” (League Of United Latin American Citizens, “LULAC Board Unanimously Endorses Alberto Gonzales’s Nomination For U.S. Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/10/04)
· LULAC National President Hector M. Flores: “We Are Delighted That The President Has Seen Fit To Nominate One Of Our Best And Brightest To The Highest Legal Post In The Federal Government.” (League Of United Latin American Citizens, “LULAC Board Unanimously Endorses Alberto Gonzales’s Nomination For U.S. Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/10/04)

Hispanic National Bar Association President Alan M. Varela: “The Honorable Alberto Gonzales Has The Strong Support Of The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).” (Hispanic National Bar Association, “HNBA Welcomes the Nomination of Judge Alberto Gonzales as the next US Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/11/04)

The Latino Coalition: “No One Can Seriously Question The Integrity And The Qualifications Of Judge Gonzales.” (The Latino Coalition, “The Latino Coalition Strongly Supports The Nomination Of Judge Alberto Gonzales As U.S. Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/11/04)

U.S. Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Board Of Directors David Lizarraga: “The Hispanic Business Community Commends President Bush For Nominating Mr. Gonzales To This Highly Visible And Influential Position In His Cabinet…” (U.S. Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce, “USHCC Endorses Nomination Of Alberto Gonzales To Serve As Attorney General Of The United States,” Press Release, 11/30/04)

Mexican American National Association: “Mr. Gonzales’s Sound Legal Decisions Have Earned The Trust And Respect Of MANA And Other Hispanic And Civil Rights Organizations.” (MANA Board Unanimously Endorses President Bush’s Nomination Of Alberto Gonzales For U.S. Attorney General, Press Release, 11/21/04)

National Association Of Hispanic Publications: President Hernan Guaracao: “There Is No One More Qualified To Fill The Post Of U.S. Attorney General Than Judge Alberto Gonzales.” (National Association Of Hispanic Publications, “Hispanic Publishers Declare Support For Alberto Gonzales For U.S. Attorney General,” Press Release, 11/22/04)

Editorials:

The Houston Chronicle: “Gonzales Is A Good Choice To Replace Ashcroft. Gonzales Is A Capable Lawyer And Former Jurist With Demonstrated Integrity And Awareness Of Life As Most Americans Live It. (Editorial, “Hello, Goodbye,” The Houston Chronicle, 11/11/04)

The New York Times: “Mr. Gonzales Has Shown That He Can Distinguish Between A Political Agenda And The Law.” (Editorial, “After John Ashcroft,” The New York Times, 11/11/04)

The Fort Worth Star Telegram: “Those Who Worked With Gonzales In Austin Describe Him As A Good Legal Mind, Cautious And Unflappable, Someone Who’ll Do What It Takes To Master The Job He’s Given.” (Editorial, “Lawyer For The Nation,” Fort Worth Star Telegram, 11/12/04)

The Denver Post: “Gonzales' Rise To The Country's Top Law-Enforcement Job Is A Story In The Tradition Of Horatio Alger...” (Editorial, “Gonzales A Step Up For Justice,” The Denver Post, 11/12/04)