Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Gonzales nomination turns into farce (though nobody's laughing...)
Promises, promises:
Treaties, of course, being the law of the land, so "promising" to "live by" them isn't really an option for the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, now is it?
Savor it—it's just too delicious. We have the spectacle of an Attorney General promising he's committed to the rule of law! Kind of like Nixon saying "I am not a crook," eh? I mean, if the Pope issued a press release saying he was deeply committed to Catholicism.... Would that make you think twice?
Savor it—But not for too long. We already know Republican promises are worthless. Remember Goss promising he wouldn't politicize his job as head of the CIA, and then filling all the top slots with staffers from the house? A Republican promise is on the order of "Honey, I won't————."
Fortunately, Gonzales won't be able to do too much damage as AG—after all, Bush is only parking him there 'til a slot on the Supreme Court opens up. So, why worry?
UPDATE Note also that WaPo finally didn't bury the lede. It's the rule of law that's paramount, not the torture (bad as that is). Maybe some enterprising Democrat should ask Gonzales about how he feels about "the rule of law" in relation to unindicted felon Donald Rumsfeld.
Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel criticized for calling parts of the Geneva Conventions on prisoner treatment "obsolete," will promise to live by anti-torture treaties if he is confirmed as attorney general, according to a statement obtained on Wednesday.
Treaties, of course, being the law of the land, so "promising" to "live by" them isn't really an option for the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, now is it?
Gonzales said he was "deeply committed to the rule of law," in a statement for delivery at Senate confirmation hearings on Thursday.
(via WaPo)
Savor it—it's just too delicious. We have the spectacle of an Attorney General promising he's committed to the rule of law! Kind of like Nixon saying "I am not a crook," eh? I mean, if the Pope issued a press release saying he was deeply committed to Catholicism.... Would that make you think twice?
Savor it—But not for too long. We already know Republican promises are worthless. Remember Goss promising he wouldn't politicize his job as head of the CIA, and then filling all the top slots with staffers from the house? A Republican promise is on the order of "Honey, I won't————."
Fortunately, Gonzales won't be able to do too much damage as AG—after all, Bush is only parking him there 'til a slot on the Supreme Court opens up. So, why worry?
UPDATE Note also that WaPo finally didn't bury the lede. It's the rule of law that's paramount, not the torture (bad as that is). Maybe some enterprising Democrat should ask Gonzales about how he feels about "the rule of law" in relation to unindicted felon Donald Rumsfeld.
