Defending Gonzales
The Department of Justice Wednesday released a series of "testimonials" from a few law enforcement and Hispanic groups showing varying degrees of support for embattled Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. This is part of a charm offensive by the Attorney General and the White House and he tries to salvage his job from the ruins of the U.S. Attorney scandal and, now, a new controversy over his reported role in supporting the continued use of the Guantanamo Bay terror detainee facility.
The testimonials are fascinating both for what they say and do not say and also for the way in which they help establish which groups and organizations have been willing to publicly rise to Gonzales' defense-- and which have not. Some groups boldly defended Gonzales. Others adopted a more passive approach. Some praised the Attorney General's record; others merely asked for the story to play itself out before people condemn the man. Fortunately, for Gonzales, no one actually came out and said: "We are still for the Attorney General because he is entitled to a presumption of innocence."
Art Gordon, national president of the "Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association," wrote in a public letter to President Bush last week: "Attorney General Gonzales is a man held in high regard by the men of women of Federal law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to keep our nation safe. I believe that once all of the facts are known regarding the current controversy surrounding the Attorney General, we will all realize that he has been honest and forthright in taking responsibility for this situation and providing the facts that were known to him at the time."
The Fraternal Order of Police chimed in, too. "Politics as usual" on Capitol Hill, said Chuck Canterbury. The National Latino Peace Officers Association wrote the President earlier this week to say it "supports Attorney General Gonzales because he has demonstrated that his past decisions have been comprehensive, well reasoned and with meticulous attention dedicated to the facts at they apply to the rule of law, without regard to politics." I contacted via email these NLPOA to ask them to tell me precisely which "decisions" they were referring to. I have not heard back from them.
This Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was a little more subdued in its support for the Attorney General. "Attorney General Gonzales has faithfully served our country at the pleasure of the President since the beginning of this administration, and we implore Congressional leaders that such service does not merit rushed judgment. If a thorough evaluation and investigation is necessary, they should be performed and realized in a timely and fair manner." Let's wait and see, they are telling us.
But the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation was not so willing to see what happens before weighing in for their man. They offered this statement from Massey Villarreal, their chairman: "It is deplorable that such pressure and escalation against Attorney General Gonzales has taken such a partisan tone. This escalation is not only partisan but unfair, particularly in light of the acknowledgment provided by Mr. Gonzales whereby he has accepted full responsibility for what might have been an over-zealous political appointee or misguided staffer in regards to these dismissals."
The Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute wrote this in a letter to The New York Times last week: "General Gonzales has been an outstanding leader in the legal community both in his home state of Texas, and the U.S. Under his leadership, the Department of Justice has a national security record with results that cannot be argued." The Latino Coalition wrote this: "We strongly opposed what is nothing but patently political calls for the resignation of Alberto Gonzales." And the Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce offered this: "It is critical that all the facts be gathered before judgment is rendered by the media or our political leaders on Attorney General Gonzales."
Interesting, right? I asked a few friends on the political beat at CBS News whether they are hearing about or seeing any signs of eroding support for Democrats from Hispanic voters—the Gonzales backlash, if you will. So far, they report, the answer is no. But I'd love to see a poll on the topic anyway.