The handwriting is not only on the wall but pasted on the Billboards, but apparently George W. Bush cannot read the signs. The end of the rope regarding Alberto Gonzales has been reached and there we find a noose tied by Gonzalez himself. Chuck Hagel has criticized the judgment of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq invasion as one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the nation’s history. Despite being a Republican and respected Senator, it is understandable that Bush would reject Hagel’s opinion, as he has done with the advice of many reasonably intelligent experts who happen to disagree with the Bush Agenda.
Lindsey Graham expressed concern that the President chose to ignore the detailed and pragmatic recommendations of the Iraq Study Group that was commissioned and conducted under GOP leadership with Democratic participation. Nevertheless, Graham is a party loyalist who has backed the President in his troop buildup in Baghdad, albeit grudgingly. He now publicly questions the integrity and fitness of Gonzalez to continue as Attorney General. This is not good news for George W. Bush and his Administration. When a Senator puts his reputation on the line to back a questionable White House policy, when most others have expressed serious doubt, he deserves at least a receptive ear in the White House. The fact that he has gone public with objections to Gonzalez suggests that the White House has turned a deaf ear to his advice as well.
Arlen Specter built a reputation as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, under the GOP led Senate, of a balanced and thoughtful leader who did his best to reconcile the desires of the White House within the bounds of reason and the law. He did object to the nomination of White House Counsel Meiers for the Supreme Court because there was not a shred of foundation to support the notion that she was qualified to serve in the position. He has again drawn the line with Gonzalez because of the growing mass of evidence that Gonzalez has not only bent [if not broken] the laws of this country too many times and compounded those mistakes by lying to Congress in sworn testimony.
As Specter indicated in a public interview, the country deserves a chief legal officer in whom they can have some confidence as to veracity and adherence to the rule of law. Gonzalez has given ample reason to believe that any such confidence in him is misplaced. And the President proposes to prevent him from testifying under oath before Congress in its investigation regarding possible obstruction of justice in the recent termination of eight or more US Attorneys. There is no rational reason why Congress should waste time questioning Gonzalez unless he is under oath, given the documentation of previous false testimony showing that he is not adverse to deliberate deception and misrepresentation to that body.
Yet because Gonzalez was chosen for the job because of his devotion to George W. Bush, more than for his devotion to the US Constitution, Bush is very reluctant to cut him loose. Perhaps more importantly, Gonzalez is privy to the many closed door meetings in which planning of the Iraq invasion and abuse of authority for domestic spying. The White House has to be more worried about allowing Gonzalez to testify truthfully and the possible ramifications of what he might say under oath if the White House withdraws support for him. The old expression of “no honor among thieves” may aptly apply to White House concerns regarding unreasonable steps to try to protect Libby, Rove and Gonzalez despite their obviously unethical and probably unlawful activities.
But George W. Bush may have no choice regarding continued support for Gonzalez. He has so badly compromised the Justice Department that only his removal could begin the restoration of confidence in the rule of law and US Attorney prosecutorial independence that Americans have a right to expect.
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