Well, the election is only 9 days past, and President Bush has already made his intentions for his second term clear. With his nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales as Attorney General, the president has made it known that his second term will be as divisive, hateful, controversial and Constitutionally-damaging as his first.
Well, the election is only 9 days past, and President Bush has already made his intentions for his second term clear. With his nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales as Attorney General, the president has made it known that his second term will be as divisive, hateful, controversial and Constitutionally-damaging as his first.
There were whispers, mainly by optimistic liberals, that Bush would use his second term to unite the country and solidify his legacy. We were told that presidents historically move to the political center when there is no election on the horizon and no base to placate. We were reminded of the travails experienced in the second terms of Nixon, Reagan and Clinton. Well...so much for that theory!
President Bush has now nominated a man that would make John Ashcroft proud. Here's a little joke to share with your friends:
Q: What's the difference between John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzalez?
A: Before John Ashcroft became Attorney General, we could only guess that he was a lunatic. We have physical proof that Gonzalez lacks respect for the rule of law.*
Ok, so it's not a "joke" in the sense that it's "funny." But it's still true.
Alberto Gonzalez, in 2002 memos to the president, laid the groundwork for the prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib and the detestable treatment of "enemy combatants" at Guantánamo Bay. His vehement support of the USA Patriot Act and his feelings on torture and other issues make this nomination more insidious than a first glance would indicate. And it looks like the president has another person in his cabinet that thinks international treaties can be thrown away like last week's copy of Entertainment Weekly.
Yes, we thought that things might change in the second term, but we were wrong. Bush is going to steamroll over everything that progressives hold dear and everything that makes this country unique. His ego and inability to say "no" to his handlers is just too great.
Will the Democrats in the Senate use this as an opportunity to stand up and make it known that divisive, far-right appointees will not be tolerated? I wish I could say that I was optimistic.
* Alternate joke answer: Gonzalez never lost an election to a corpse.