Alberto Gonzales

If anyone was wondering how long an elected Administration official can get away with lying to the public and Congress for – the answer is about 6 months; and we have US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to thank for that insight. The troubled Gonzales finally bowed the chorus of calls for his resignation, ending a farcical period for the Bush Administration and its allegedly non-partisan Justice Department.

Gonzales became Attorney General in February 2005, after a Texas law career marked by a long association with Bush. Most notably, Gonzales was appointed Secretary of State (of Texas) and elected to the Supreme Court in that state – both personal nominations by then Governor Bush. If nothing else, the Bush Presidency has taught us how valuable he regards loyalty (certainly above competence), and Gonzales is a loyal foot soldier (yes man), if ever there was one.

Gonzales proved to be an invaluable tool in Bush’s War on Terror, presiding over the obliteration of many the basic rights prisoners of war have previously been granted. He was instrumental in the creation of Camp X-Ray (Guantanamo Bay), the necessary side-stepping of the Geneva Convention and the designation of detainees as ‘enemy combatants’ (thereby leaving them in legal limbo). His suppression of habeas corpus (the right to seek relief from unlawful detention; literally the prisoner’s right to appear before a court) consigned many, like David Hicks, to languish in Gitmo with no oversight.

Still, it wasn’t until Gonzales pressed his luck in the homeland that his actions came under closer scrutiny. His role in laws allowing warrantless eavesdropping on American citizens and the dismissal of 8 US Attorneys (for political reasons, ie: they were not sufficiently pro-Bush) sparked particular outrage. Congress’s questioning of Gonzales turned into a circus as his memory failed him. In one sitting he was heard to say “I do not recall” over 70 times! He was subsequently accused of lying to congress, a charge Stephen Colbert hilariously defended, on the basis that maybe Gonzales is just retarded (see below).

In all, it’s a great relief to many that Gonzales is gone. Coupled with the departure of Iraq War architect Donald Rumsfeld and Root of All Evil, Karl Rove – a light is appearing at the end of the dark tunnel that has been the Bush Presidency. Now, if only we could do something about Cheney, and Bush himself, we’d be getting somewhere.