corrente

Salazar's introduction is quite simply appalling. Is the concept to win, or not? And if the concept is to win, how does this loser-consultant ethnic-checklist-style drivel help any voter understand why its The Right Thing to vote Democratic? When will the Democrats understand that whenever they are, whatever they do, they have to stand for something?

Read it and weep. Or scream.

It is also an honor and privilege for me to appear before you this morning to make an introduction of [Torturer and] Judge Alberto Gonzales[,author of of the memos that argue for Presidential rule of decree (back)].

I do so at the invitation of Judge Gonzales. He and I come from very similar backgrounds. We both understand the struggles of people as they try to build better lives for themselves and for their families in America.

[Unfortunately, he and I took very different paths. I defended our Constitutiion. Judge Gonzales worked to overthrow it. Oh, wait...]

From those humble beginnings, Judge Gonzales has excelled academically and professionally. In my view, Judge Gonzales is better qualified than many recent attorneys general. He served as a member of the Texas Supreme Court, secretary of state for the state of Texas, chief counsel to the governor of Texas and for the last four years as counsel to the president.

I have known Judge Gonzales from my days as Colorado's attorney general. In addition, over the last several weeks I have met and had several discussions with Judge Gonzales about his nomination to serve as this nation's attorney general.

I believe his decision to reach out to me, someone who is from a different political party, is an indication of his interest in working with all of us in making our homeland more secure and at the same time protecting our citizens' rights and liberties.
(via WaPo hearing transcript)

Oh please. All Gonzales wants from you, Senator Salazar, is political cover. And you gave it to him. That never works with Bush. Remember Max Cleland? He tried bipartisanship, and got royally fucked. So will you. So remember, and rue, this day, when Gonzales is before this same committee as a nominee for the Supreme Court. Will you be able to say anything against him then? Of course not. You've nailed yourself into a box, all on your own.

Now, to be fair to Senator Salazar, he is very new, and he may assume that because Democratic and Republican officials can work together at the state level (well, not in Texas, of course), the same can happen at the national level. It's not so. But why didn't someone, anyone, disabuse Senator Salazar of the naive notion that when a Democrat fluffs Bush, it's always a losing proposition?

UPDATE More fluffing, from Leahy:

LEAHY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

And, first off, I wanted to thank both Senator Salazar and Senator Cornyn for their introduction. Senator Salazar, a Democrat who is showing bipartisanship here, similar to, I remember, Senator Carnahan coming to introduce Attorney General John Ashcroft even though he is the man who'd run against her husband.

Leahy is from the bluest of blue states, Vermont. So he doesn't have to say this. The only possible conclusion is that he believes it! What a farce.