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Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Split, Party Line Vote

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 09:30:09 AM EST
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The ACLU sends this press release by e-mail:

WASHINGTON-The Senate Judiciary Committee today narrowly approved the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, sending to the full Senate an appointment made controversial by the Bush Administration's torture policies. In a sign of how controversial the nomination has become, all of the Judiciary Committee's Democratic members voted against Gonzales.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which does not take a position on cabinet nominations, said that the Senate cannot meaningfully exercise its constitutional duty of "advise and consent" on the Gonzales nomination because the Administration continues to stonewall against releasing documents on how it developed its policies on interrogation and torture, and Gonzales himself refuses to answer even basic questions on his role in those policies.

"It is time for the Senate to demand that Gonzales and the Bush Administration come clean on the roles that high-ranking leaders had in removing protections against torture and abuse," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director. "It's clear that Gonzales and top Bush administration officials created the legal framework and permissive climate that led to the torture and abuse."

The committee vote in favor of Gonzales surprisingly broke straight along party lines. Among the unexpected "no" votes was Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), who four years ago voted to confirm the current Attorney General, John Ashcroft.

The ACLU noted that just last week, another low-ranking corporal was sentenced to prison for abuse, while this week an architect of the interrogation and torture policies is on the verge of a promotion to be the nation's top law enforcement officer.

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    Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Split, Party Line Vote | 23 comments (23 topical)
    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 10:30:18 AM EST
    Remember he is the main Bush Boy! and remember he is all for the ideals of aztlan, My Boy Alberto Gon-zale-ape! is one of the main players in helping old Fox take power in Mexico and this move shows me and anyone Right or Left who and what is coming down the road. Next move is political re-educational camps for really bad people. By the way in Mexico torture is normal and the people never say a thing about it, lets all ask bush why is that? also the narrowly approved thing is usual when you look at what is planned for our future.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 10:37:45 AM EST
    I've tried channeling Billmon to express my feelings in this. Bush/Cheney '04: Defining Deviance Lower.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 10:44:32 AM EST
    Ah yes, the ACLU, "which does not take a position on cabinet nominations", issues yet another broadside against a cabinet nominee. One can be forgiven for questioning that little disclaimer. And I would note that the fact that all Democratic members voted against Gonzalez is more of sign of how beholden the Democrtaic Party is to the ACLU and other liberal interest groups than anything about the nature of this nomination. In fact, had the Democrats on the committee actually made an argument against Gonzalez, instead of launching just another smear campaign, they might have convinced a Republican or two to join them, in which case they might have succeeded in derailing this nomination. Instead, we got the same old posturing from the same old windbags and the nominee is now headed for a floor vote in which he will be confirmed. Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles. We survived Reno, we survived Ashcroft, and we'll survive Gonzalez.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 10:59:35 AM EST
    We may survive them, but with each one our rights have been diminished vis-a-vis The State. Survival as a citizen in a solidifying police state has a singularly unpalatable taste...

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#5)
    by scarshapedstar on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 11:15:59 AM EST
    Justpaul, If you can prove to me that Gonzales didn't write those memos where he deemed international law "quaint and obsolete," I'll believe it was just a smear campaign. Until then, I believe you are the one who's lying.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 11:49:02 AM EST
    Congrats, JustPaul. Only you and morons like you could find a way to blame the Democrats for Gonzales' nomination. Well, when the state decides they don't like you (for whatever reason, or no reason)try explaining "hey man, I voted for you"! I'm sure you'll get put in a special cellblock they're saving for the "ass-kissers" (and I mean that literally).

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 11:57:02 AM EST
    Posted by justpaul at January 26, 2005 11:44 AM ...Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles. We survived Reno, we survived Ashcroft, and we'll survive Gonzalez in addition survived LBJ, Nixon(1.5x), Ford, Carter, Reagan(2x), Bush I, (2x)Clinton, Bush II (1x and counting), we will survive, trudat, trudat.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 12:00:13 PM EST
    At least the Dems held their line. Proud of them in this one. Not proud of them on the Condi vote, however. Quislings!

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 12:28:27 PM EST
    "And I would note that the fact that all Democratic members voted against Gonzalez is more of sign of how beholden the Democrtaic [SIC] Party is to the ACLU and other liberal interest groups than anything about the nature of this nomination." Honey... you know who the "interest group" of the ACLU is? Anybody with a mouth, a brain, a pen, or a keyboard. (And in your case, three out of four ain't bad... They've defended conservative racist groups like Neo-Nazis and the KKK who wanted the right to hold a public march. They've defended Oliver North. Sure, they're liberal -- in the sense that they support an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that allow for as much individual liberty as possible. I thought conservatives believed in individual liberty? What DO you guys stand for anymore, anyway? I don't understand how you've managed to lose your moral compass so completely.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 12:34:52 PM EST
    "Remember he is the main Bush Boy! and remember he is all for the ideals of aztlan, My Boy Alberto Gon-zale-ape! is one of the main players in helping old Fox take power in Mexico" By the way, I'm getting REALLY tired of Fred Dawes. What a horrible, racist, ugly thing to say. Leave Gonzales's race/ethnicity out of it. His actions and legal opinions are the problem... your brain is YOUR problem, and, alas, ours, as long as you continue to spew forth here.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 12:58:08 PM EST
    OffTopic (TL, how about blogging this?): Download "Eyes On The Prize", the long unavailable Civil Rights Movement Documentary via BitTorrent Attend a screening! Produce DVDs and spread them!

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#13)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 01:01:37 PM EST
    Justpaul, your contention that the Dem's vote was related to being indebted to the ACLU or other liberal cause and that they always say the same thing is at best a strawman argument that you can't prove. I believe your response is just more of your scripted rants against the dems. By attributing the Dems vote completely to ideological politics you implied that the memos had no impact on the dems. So Scar bringing them up was perfectly valid. No I am afraid it is you who is spouting ideology, canned nonsense, claims that don't make sense and certainly can not be back up Now you go back to your delusional world.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 01:59:09 PM EST
    Soccerdad, nix on the verbiage and the snide put downs. Just hand out yellow cards.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:01:29 PM EST
    The Senate cannot adequately serve its constitutional purpose, because we have not had a legal election in five years. The current government is a fraud. How deep a fraud can only be determined by investigation, and clearly Bush and his ALSO-UNELECTED cronies have blocked investigation from the very start, with the quashing of Bush-backer Enron investigation, and the quashing of Bush-backer FirstEnergy's Feb 01 near nuclear disaster, or for that matter Bush-backer FirstEnergy's revealed causation of the East Coast Power Blowout of 2003. No investigations allowed, because the illegal acts are ALL THERE IS. And PPJ, the rest, blather on, as if they and their cover arguments have any credibility left at all. More than 1,400 dead GIs; NOT ONE WMD. But this is a nation of laws, and Bush and his freak family WILL be driven from our White House, and not in a limosine. Frog walks, for the lot of them.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#16)
    by Sailor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:09:27 PM EST
    It's pretty simple, a vote for Gonzales is a vote for torture, indefinite detention with no charges filed and the Exec branch supremacy over the other 2 branches. Did any of us think these were american ideals when we were growing up? Voting against Gonzales should have nothing to do with repub|demo lib|conserv or anything besides his view are unamerican.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:13:20 PM EST
    Paul in LA; While you may disagree with the elections, especially 2000, there is no way you can say with a straight face that he didn't win in 2004. You're starting to sound like my two kids. BTW, I 'accidentally' voted for Buchanan so I know what it feels like not to have a vote 'count' for a candidate.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#18)
    by Jlvngstn on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:14:02 PM EST
    Justpaul, out of curiosity, the gripes from repubs on nominees are all the same aren't they? "Most liberal" person in the field. Both parties are equally guilty and the american public sways to and fro with elections for the past 100 years or so, albeit the dems had control of the senate for a very long time decades ago, I hardly think the american public has tuned out dems forever because of the rhetoric. Gonzalez, Reno and Ashcroft did not impress me either.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:21:07 PM EST
    How do you know you "accidentally voted for Buchanan"? Got a receipt? Or are simply a resident of that county and making an assumption?

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#21)
    by Jlvngstn on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 02:30:59 PM EST
    If the "people like us" like the screaming and name calling, why are all the political talk shows on the radio and tele hosted by right wingers? If we are a nation of compassion and human rights, we could not in good conscience elect or appoint leaders who are in direct opposition with those fundamental principles. Torture and imprisoning people without charges and or legal representation goes against the grain of all that is "american", does it not?

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 03:45:45 PM EST
    Sorry to say, I think it's a foregone conclusion that Gonzalez will be confirmed. Our representatives don't have enough balls, brains or backbones to stop him.

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 04:18:45 PM EST
    "Posted by BocaJeff at January 26, 2005 03:13 PM Paul in LA; While you may disagree with the elections, especially 2000," My opinion doesn't matter. The law, and the constitution disagrees with that fraud. " there is no way you can say with a straight face that he didn't win in 2004." HILARIOUS. 80% of the electorate votes without paper trail. Who did they vote for? You have to ask Bush-backer electronic voting companies, but they already knew the answer before a single vote was cast. All across the country machines recorded Bush votes when Kerry votes were cast. We CAUGHT Triad in Ohio changing the vote counts to prevent a legal recount -- which recount we have not yet had because Bush-campaign chief and Ohio SecState Katherine Blackwell, who tried to stop people absentee voting because they weren't using the right paperweight, refused to allow one. Go ahead and lie to yourself some more. You're done lying to millions of us who are hip to what is actually happening. We have the evidence, but we can't get the investigations that go with our rights. I wonder why that is?

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 04:21:26 PM EST
    "Posted by Kelly: Sorry to say, I think it's a foregone conclusion that Gonzalez will be confirmed. Our representatives don't have enough balls, brains or backbones to stop him." No, Kelly, we don't have the votes. Politics is not about lining up for losing votes. And the reason for that is that we haven't had a legal election in five years, and we've had a coup by rightwing, heavily-funded (off-the-scale corrupt), traitors. Blaming our representatives is doing Karl Rove's work for him. Do you want congratulations?

    Re: Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Spli (none / 0) (#25)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 27, 2005 at 10:09:50 PM EST
    Hey Paul, you and the other Dems just have to get over it. You lost the 2004 election at all levels just like you lost the 2000 election. Oh correction, the Dems performance was even more pathetic in 2004. Instead of taking the time to come up with the absurd comments, perhaps you and the libs outta be working on a platform that the majority of Americans are willing to stomach!! [Ed. Guy, this is a liberal site. Don't come here to bash people. You are limited to four comments a day.]

    Senate Panel Approves Alberto Gonzales in Split, Party Line Vote | 23 comments (23 topical)