Over Democrats' Opposition, Senate Confirms Gonzales as Attorney General

Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation Thursday as attorney general despite Democratic accusations that he helped formulate White House policies that led to overseas prisoner abuse. Many Democrats had initially joined Republicans in praising the former state judge, but some turned against Gonzales after he sidestepped questions regarding advice that he gave administration officials on interrogation methods that could be used on suspected terrorists or witnesses.

X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.
Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation Thursday as attorney general despite Democratic accusations that he helped formulate White House policies that led to overseas prisoner abuse and was too beholden to President Bush to be the nation’s top law enforcement official. The Senate voted 60-36 to put the first Hispanic ever into the job, with all of the “no” votes coming from Democrats. Last week, 13 Democrats voted against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s confirmation. Gonzales will replace John Ashcroft, who won more Democratic support four years ago despite his more contentious stances on several issues. Eight Democrats voted for Ashcroft, while six voted for Gonzales: Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Ken Salazar of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Bill Nelson of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. Republicans and some Democrats praised Gonzales’ life story: the grandson of Mexican immigrants who worked his way up to being President Bush’s top lawyer in the White House. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., the first Cuban-American senator, even broke with Senate tradition and praised Gonzales in Spanish on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “This is a breakthrough of incredible magnitude for Hispanic-Americans,” he said in English. Democrats praised Gonzales as well, but many said they couldn’t look past his participation in administration policies they said had led to abuses that occurred in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They also complained that he refused to answer their questions on how those policies were created inside the White House. “Mr. Gonzales was at the heart of the Bush administration’s notorious decision to authorize our forces to commit flagrant acts of torture in the interrogation of detainees,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. At first, many Democrats had joined Republicans in praising the former state judge who traveled with Bush to Washington after the president’s 2000 victory. “When Mr. Gonzales was nominated several weeks ago, I didn’t know a single member of this body, Republican or Democrat, who had expressed any intention to vote against this nominee,” said Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. But some Democrats turned against him after he sidestepped questions on what advice he gave Bush and other administration officials on the interrogation methods that could be used on suspected terrorists or witnesses. Some Democrats contended that Gonzales’ January 2002 memo as White House counsel led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pressed on the issue, Gonzales defended language in which he labeled as “quaint” some of the Geneva Conventions’ human rights protections for prisoners of war and said they did not extend to al-Qaida and other suspected terrorists. But he also declared, “Torture and abuse will not be tolerated by this administration.” He told senators that, as attorney general, he would “ensure the Department of Justice aggressively pursues those responsible for such abhorrent actions.” Democrats also expressed concern that Gonzales was too much of a Bush loyalist. “He was so circumspect in his answers, so allied with the president’s position on every single issue, there was almost an eagerness to say, ‘I’m going to do exactly what the president wants,’ that I worry Judge Gonzales will be too willing to toe the party line,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. Gonzales shouldn’t be a scapegoat for what happened overseas, Republicans said. They also insinuated that the Democrats wanted a big vote against Gonzales to keep Bush from making him the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee if a position comes open. “Here is a good man who has demonstrated tremendous ability through his life,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. “The fact is, politics is getting in the way of his confirmation.” Democrats argued that they had a right to closely question all nominees. “I think it is a mistake for this chamber to allow the race card of being Hispanic to be used to destroy or erode the institutions that we have here,” said Sen. Salazar, a Colorado Democrat and one of Gonzales’ supporters. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Benefits of a Digital Membership:

  • Free access to 3 articles* every 30 days
  • Access to the entire ALM network of websites
  • Unlimited access to the ALM suite of newsletters
  • Build custom alerts on any search topic of your choosing
  • Search by a wide range of topics

*May exclude premium content
Already have an account?

Trending Stories

 

Featured Product

Global Briefing

A weekly, curated selection of our international content from around the globe, across the business of law, in-house, regulatory, technology and more, with expert insights from our senior editors.

Learn More

More from ALM

 

ALM Legal Publication Newsletters

Sign Up Today and Never Miss Another Story.

As part of your digital membership, you can sign up for an unlimited number of a wide range of complimentary newsletters. Visit your My Account page to make your selections. Get the timely legal news and critical analysis you cannot afford to miss. Tailored just for you. In your inbox. Every day.

Privacy Policy

About Us / Contact Us / Site Map / Advertise With Us/ Customer Service / Terms of Service/ FAQ / Privacy Policy

Publications

Law Topics

Rankings

More

Law.com

Copyright © 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved.