Friday, January 07, 2005
Mr. Gonzales Is Not Fit For The Job
Whatever you say about the Washington Post, their editors have been right on top of it regarding President Bush's disgraceful nominee for Attorney General. I watched and listened to the hearing and I agree completely with this conclusion:
He was asked if he believed that other world leaders could legitimately torture U.S. citizens. He replied, "I don't know what laws other world leaders would be bound by." (The Geneva Conventions would be among them.) He was asked whether "U.S. personnel [can] legally engage in torture under any circumstances." He answered, "I don't believe so, but I'd want to get back to you on that." He was asked whether he agreed, at least, with Mr. Ashcroft, who said he didn't believe in torture because it produced nothing of value. "I don't have a way of reaching a conclusion on that," he said. Those senators who are able to reach clear conclusions about torture and whether the United States should engage in it have reason for grave reservations about Mr. Gonzales.
What the Post editorial does not discuss was the weak questioning by the Judiciary Committee members. They were almost embarrassed to be asking whether the Bush Administration ignored international law. At one point, according to Dan Eggen and R. Jeffrey Smith, Senator Joseph Biden, who refers to himself as a constitutional expert and who wants to become President one day, reflected on the nominee's answers by saying "We're looking for you, when we ask you questions, to give us an answer, which you haven't done yet...I love you, but you're not very candid so far."
You have to begin to wonder whether Mr. Gonzales is getting off the hook because he is a minority.
PermaLink | 3:56 AM |
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He was asked if he believed that other world leaders could legitimately torture U.S. citizens. He replied, "I don't know what laws other world leaders would be bound by." (The Geneva Conventions would be among them.) He was asked whether "U.S. personnel [can] legally engage in torture under any circumstances." He answered, "I don't believe so, but I'd want to get back to you on that." He was asked whether he agreed, at least, with Mr. Ashcroft, who said he didn't believe in torture because it produced nothing of value. "I don't have a way of reaching a conclusion on that," he said. Those senators who are able to reach clear conclusions about torture and whether the United States should engage in it have reason for grave reservations about Mr. Gonzales.
What the Post editorial does not discuss was the weak questioning by the Judiciary Committee members. They were almost embarrassed to be asking whether the Bush Administration ignored international law. At one point, according to Dan Eggen and R. Jeffrey Smith, Senator Joseph Biden, who refers to himself as a constitutional expert and who wants to become President one day, reflected on the nominee's answers by saying "We're looking for you, when we ask you questions, to give us an answer, which you haven't done yet...I love you, but you're not very candid so far."
You have to begin to wonder whether Mr. Gonzales is getting off the hook because he is a minority.
PermaLink | 3:56 AM |
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