Gonzales Launches PR Campaign

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's Jennifer Hoar

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Embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is on a public relations tour to boost his image amid the U.S. Attorney scandal, but strategists from both parties say he needs more than a calculated listening tour to save face.

Gonzales has found himself at the center of a Justice Department imbroglio following the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys for what many believe were politically motivated reasons. Gonzales admitted last week that "mistakes were made" in the handling of the issue.

"The attorney general's attempts to assuage his critics and admit mistakes is probably helpful in building short-term empathy and good will," says Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter. "But as more incriminating facts come to light, no amount of apologies or political outreach can sustain the backlash."

In a list of "talking points" released Wednesday, a Justice Department official enumerated steps Gonzales is taking to mitigate backlash. They include: a conference call to U.S. attorneys, personal meetings and lunches with senators and members of Congress and an impromptu appearance at the National Hispanic Leadership Summit.

Ron Christie, a former special assistant to President Bush, believes that the most significant and useful public move Gonzales will make is his testimony on the Hill. In the meantime, Christie said, Gonzales should stick to honesty and industry. The more people focus on what he does as attorney general, the more the firings scandal will be diminished.

"The Justice Department handled this poorly from the outset; there were too many interpretations, too many stories," Christie says. Gonzales should be "as forthcoming, open and transparent as possible and continue to do his job. Then he should be able to put this behind him."

That idea is echoed on the left.

"If he can put himself in a position as urging honesty and openness from this White House, it would help him build allies in Congress and, more importantly, set him apart from the corruption the American people believe has encompassed Washington," Cutter says.

Gonzales says that his work as attorney general is his top priority, as he told CBS News Radio's Dan Raviv on Friday.

"I've got to remain focused on the issues that are important to American families. As attorney general I'm going to stay focused on that," Gonzales said.

Also this week, Latino groups and law enforcement organizations joined the effort to burnish Gonzales' image. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute and the Fraternal Order of Police, among others, came forward with letters of support Wednesday. They lauded Gonzales' record as a judge and as a member of the Bush Cabinet and called for fairness in judging him.

The Justice Department confirmed that it helped distribute the glowing letters, but said it did not request them.

"Beginning last week, our public liaison office began receiving statements of support from law enforcement and Hispanic groups," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said.

The effectiveness of these written displays of affection is questionable, though, as Gonzales' support in the Hispanic-American community is far from unanimous.

Many Latinos are disappointed with the Bush White House, and that does not help Gonzales in this situation, says communications strategist Marc Campos, whose Houston-based firm handles Hispanic community relations. Roughly 60 percent of Hispanic voters chose Democrats in the November election, a reflection of their disdain for the administration's handling of the Iraq War and its relations with Latin America, among other things.

"Gonzales is a nice guy, but he represents an administration that is cause for disillusionment," Campos says. "If he is asked to resign, there are not going to be a whole lot of tears shed."

Plus, touting Gonzales' stature in the Hispanic-American community when his current predicament has nothing to do with his heritage won't spare him much grief.

"His ethnicity is obvious," says public relations consultant Mike Collins, "I'm skeptical that it would play any more than an incidental role in his current situation."

[goldesprit]

In the current attending article about this called :
%u201CGonzales Aide Won't Answer Senate Queries%u201D


There is an important bit of propaganda.

Here is the reporting quote as written:

%u201CPresident Bush did not speak to Gonzales over the weekend.%u201D

How do these reporters know this? Does the President of the United States have any encrypted email, or other ways to %u201Cspeak%u201D with Gonzales without the press seeing? We are supposed to think no one in the employ of the Defense Department could rig this up for the President of the US!!!

Ask yourself why this news organization would want you to be CERTAIN that Bush did not talk to Gonzales in a given time frame.

It%u2019s to help the President distance himself.

It is some sort of trade the reporter(s) is making for future favor from the administration.

Sure we should read carefully, but lets not forget who is slanting the news--it is not just about money anymore.

[azman80]

The man is screwed. His career is over. I have no clue why he is still trying to fight this. We need to send him back home and start fresh. It seems that what this administration is all about anyways. New people all the time. These people change more than the weather itself. Cant seem to find the right person for the job in a country with over 300 million people. It just makes you feel so good doesnt it.

[toldyouso21]

"If he can put himself in a position as urging honesty and openness from this White House, it would help him build allies in Congress and, more importantly, set him apart from the corruption the American people believe has encompassed Washington," Cutter says.


MAYBE...this is just the problem. Gonzales can't do this. MAYBE...he can't because something really rotten did go on. After all, if there was a political agenda to turn the DOJ into an arm of the Right Wing--then how does one come forward honestly on that subject?

Honesty would not only net Gonzales a firing, but could land Bush, Cheney, Rove and others in criminal hotwater. So...what to do...what to do....When you can't tell the truth and you get caught in the only lie that sounded remotely plausible (but is blown out of the water) I bet Gonzales is furious that whoever did away with 16 days of emails forgot to snag the one where he met with Sampson, discussed the firings and signed off--or maybe Sampson agreeing to testify sort of forced his and Bush's hand?

[adian1-2009]

These pseudo-latin associations are disgracing themselves when they lend a hand to Gonzales. The guy simply is not fit, morally nor otherwise. He is not only incompetent for the job, he is a burden. I can't see how his performance as a jurist in Texas, of all places, is praised. He is just a Republican partisan pawn and not our top legal guardian. In fact, he has designed methods and procedures to curtail our liberties. Does he really deserve support from these pseudo-latino associations? Torture, secret jails abroad to circunvent our laws, Guantanamo courts without guarantees, wire tapping innocent people without search warrants, etc., etc. Come on, please! He is not only a disgrace for latinos, but for the whole country!!

[tucson23]

Wait, the cops are supporting this guy? That's reason enough to sack his a*ss. One of the most unfortunate side effects of 9/11 was to give police a free pass to turn America into a police state in the name of our "protection." They think like many conservatives...if you don't have anything to hide, why would you worry if rights are being curtailed?

[grumpas]

Gonzales is just another Republican clone who will do anything the 'cheif criminal' wants to keep his job! But, like Libby he will no doubt take the fall for fascist George! This has become a pattern of behavior for George! You disagree with him you lose your job! He only likes 'Yes' people who don't have any more ethic's than he does and will ignore his criminal activities!

[misha131]

Any one consider the fact that while out on PR the mismanagement at the DOJ and FBI are without oversight by the AG. Meantine there are two internal investigations inside the DOJ. Does anyone in Washington understand the concept of the fox investigating a break-in of the hen house? How can any agency effectively investigate itself or more specifically their own boss?

[j0hnwi11iams]

Heck of a job, Gonzo. Hard work. For you it should be hard time.

[book54552134]

Gonzales should never have been approved for Attorney General by the GOP Senate (& some spineless Democrats,) in the first place.
He is a major proponent for the advancement of torture technics on prisoners of all type.
He is not a defender of the US Constitution & he seeks to undermine the US Bill of Rights at every possible opportunity.
Of course it is the utterly corrupt Bush Administration that is ultimately to blame for the Gonzales fiasco. They wanted him in that powerful position & they will fight to allow him to remain there.
Gonzales' departure is long overdue but indeed, he should never have been allowed in such a position to begin with.

[lukebize]

Disbar him.