no more alberto ~ lets watch all the rats abandon ship!

[dv8grl]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gonzales_resigns

Officials say Gonzales has resigned
CRAWFORD, Texas - Embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, under fire from congressional Democrats, has resigned, senior Bush administration officials said Monday.
A senior Justice Department official said that a likely temporary replacement for Gonzales is Solicitor General Paul Clement, who would take over until a permanent replacement is found.

Another official, also speaking on grounds of anonymity, said that Gonzales had submitted a resignation letter last Friday. These officials declined to be identified because the formal announcement about Gonzales was still pending.

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[freeby4me]

Yay! Only how many more to go??? LMAO

[dv8grl]

ugh... they say Michael Chertoff will be replacing him -

[Jolie Rouge]

ugh... they say Michael Chertoff will be replacing him

God save us all !

[Jolie Rouge]

US Attorney General Gonzales resigns
By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer
4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Alberto Gonzales, the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, announced his resignation Monday, ending a wrenching standoff with congressional critics over his honesty and competence at the helm of the Justice Department.

Republicans and Democrats alike had demanded his resignation over the botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the firings of U.S. attorneys, but President Bush had defiantly stood by his Texas friend until accepting his resignation last Friday. "It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead the Department of Justice," Gonzales said, announcing his resignation effective Sept. 17 in a terse statement. He took no questions and gave no reason for stepping down.

Bush planned to discuss Gonzales' departure later Monday.

Solicitor General Paul Clement will be acting attorney general until a replacement is found, said administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement.

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff was among those mentioned as possible successors, though a senior administration official said the matter had not been raised with Chertoff. Bush leaves Washington next Monday for Australia, and Gonzales' replacement might not be named by then, the official said.

"Better late than never," said Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, summing up the response of many to the resignation.

Republicans welcomed the departure of the embattled attorney general, some quietly and others publicly so. "The attorney general's decision to step down is a positive step forward for the Department of Justice," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "Attorney General Gonzales' ability to lead the Department of Justice had been undermined by his serious errors in judgment and conflicting statements," she said in a statement.

Gonzales, formerly Bush's White House counsel, served more than two years at the Justice Department In announcing his decision, Gonzales reflected on his up-from-the-bootstraps life story; he's the son of migrant farm workers from Mexico who didn't finish elementary school. "Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days," Gonzales said.

Bush steadfastly — and at times angrily — refused to give in to critics, even from his own GOP, who argued that Gonzales should go.

Earlier this month at a news conference, the president grew irritated when asked about accountability in his administration and turned the tables on the Democratic Congress. "Implicit in your questions is that Al Gonzales did something wrong. I haven't seen Congress say he's done anything wrong," Bush said testily. Actually, many in Congress had accused Gonzales of wrongdoing.

Gonzales, 52, called Bush on Friday to inform him of his resignation, according to a senior administration official. The president had Gonzales come to lunch at his ranch on Sunday as a parting gesture.

Gonzales, whom Bush once considered for appointment to the Supreme Court, is the fourth top-ranking administration official to leave since November 2006.

Donald H. Rumsfeld, an architect of the Iraq war, resigned as defense secretary one day after the November elections.

Paul Wolfowitz agreed in May to step down as president of the World Bank after an ethics inquiry.

Bush's top political and policy adviser, Karl Rove, announced earlier this month that he was stepping down.

Reacting to Gonzales' resignation,Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said that the Justice Department had "suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence."

As attorney general and earlier as White House counsel, Gonzales pushed for expanded presidential powers, including the eavesdropping authority. He drafted controversial rules for military war tribunals and sought to limit the legal rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay — prompting lawsuits by civil libertarians who said the government was violating the Constitution in its pursuit of terrorists. "Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

In a warning to the White House, Reid suggested that investigations into the Justice Department will not end until Congress gets "to the bottom of this mess."

One matter still under investigation is the 2006 dismissal of several federal prosecutors, who serve at the president's pleasure. Lawmakers said the action appeared to be politically motivated, and some of the fired U.S. attorneys said they felt pressured to investigate Democrats before elections.

Gonzales maintained that the dismissals were based the prosecutors' lackluster performance records.

In April, Gonzales answered "I don't know" and "I can't recall" scores of times while questioned by Congress about the firings. Even some Republicans said his testimony was evasive.

Not Bush. The president praised Gonzales' performance and said the attorney general was "honest" and "honorable."

In 2004, Gonzales pressed to reauthorize a secret domestic spying program over the Justice Department's protests. Gonzales was White House counsel at the time and during a dramatic hospital confrontation he and then-White House chief of staff Andrew Card sought approval from then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was in intensive care recovering from surgery. Ashcroft refused.

Similarly, Gonzales found himself on the defensive in early March for the FBI's improper and, in some cases, illegal prying into Americans' personal information during terror and spy probes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...wbq03CPOWs0NUE


Gonzales out, announcement expected today
by Mark Silva

Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, who has faced a storm of controversy over the Justice Department’s firing of federal prosecutors and his testimony about the internal debate over the administration’s secret surveillance of suspected terrorists, will announce today that he has resigned his post, a senior administration official has confirmed for the Tribune.

The president plans to make a statement at 10:50 am CDT today, before departing from Waco, Tex., to head out West today to campaign for Republicans.

The Justice Department is expected to announce the attorney general's resignation this morning, according to a senior administration source, and the president will make his own statement before embarking on a western political tour and an address to the American Legion tomorrow in Reno, Nev.

However, Gonzales' resignation will not end the investigations which Democratic congressional leaders are making of the prosecutor firings and terrorist surveillance. "Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job,'' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today. "He lacked independence, he lacked judgment...This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."

The resignation of Gonzales is the latest – and highest-profile – departure from a team of close advisers who have steered Bush through his two terms as president. Karl Rove, the president’s chief political adviser, is leaving at the end of August. Dan Bartlett, former counselor to the president, already has left. And Bush has installed a new budget director.

Donald Rumsfeld, the former Defense Secretary, resigned the week that Democrats gained control of Congress in the midterm, 2006, elections that challenged the president's Iraq war policy. Gonzales has been instrumental in helping shape the administration's tactics in a broader war against terrorism, including sweeping new means of intelligence-gathering.

In the remaining year and a half of Bush’s presidency, he will need a new attorney general who can both win confirmation in a Democratic-run Senate and restore confidence in a Justice Department that has been rocked with political controversy.

It’s not only the firing of several U.S. attorneys last year which the Department has been forced to explain, but also the details of a debate within the administration over the president’s assertion of sweeping powers for the surveillance of suspected terrorists.

Gonzales has told Congress there was no internal debate, but the Bush administration has insisted that he was speaking about one narrow element of the National Security Agency's surveillance program.

High-ranking senators, including some Republicans, have voiced a lack of confidence in Gonzales and called for his resignation. Gonzales, and Bush, have resisted that for months.

Gonzales has long served Bush, both as president and governor of Texas.

Before his appointment as attorney general -- he was sworn in on Feb. 3, 2005 -- Gonzales had served as White House counsel since January of 2001.

He had been a justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, appointed by then Texas Gov. Bush to that court in 1999. He had served as Texas' secretary of state from December 1997.

Before his appointment as secretary of state, Gonzales had been general counsel for Gov. Bush for three years. He had been a partner with the law firm of Vinson & Elkins in Houston.

A native of San Antonio, he is a graduate of Rice University, and Harvard Law School.

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/ne...ment_expe.html

[Jolie Rouge]

Gonzales' resignation text
By The Associated Press
1 hour, 1 minute ago

Text of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation statement on Monday, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions.

GONZALES: Good morning.

Thirteen years ago I entered public service to make a positive difference in the lives of others. And during this time I have traveled a remarkable journey, from my home state of Texas to Washington, D.C., supported by the unwavering love and encouragement of my wife Rebecca and our sons Jared, Graham and Gabriel.

Yesterday I met with President Bush and informed him of my decision to conclude my government service as attorney general of the United States effective as of September 17th, 2007.

Let me say that it's been one of my greatest privileges to lead the Department of Justice. I have great admiration and respect for the men and women who work here. I have made a point as attorney general to personally meet as many of them as possible, and today I want to again thank them for their service to our nation.

It is through their continued work that our country and our communities remain safe, that the rights and civil liberties of our citizens are protected, and the hopes and dreams of all of our children are secured.

I often remind our fellow citizens that we live in the greatest country in the world and that I have lived the American dream. Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days.

Public service is honorable and noble. And I am profoundly grateful to President Bush for his friendship and for the many opportunities he has given me to serve the American people.

Thank you, and God bless America.

END

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...onzales_text_1



Reaction on Monday to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
By The Associated Press
1 hour, 15 minutes ago

"Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House." — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

___

"I thank Alberto Gonzales for his public service and wish him well in his future endeavors. It is my hope that whomever President Bush selects as the next attorney general, he or she is not subjected to the same poisonous partisanship that we've sadly grown accustomed to over the past eight months." — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

___

"It has been a long and difficult struggle but at last, the attorney general has done the right thing and stepped down." -Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

___

"The life of Alberto Gonzales has been defined by his devotion to family and deep commitment to public service. ... I appreciate his hard work in defense of our country and look forward to his future contributions." — House Republican Whip Roy Blunt.

___

"As we wish Mr. Gonzales the best in his departure, we should also take a moment to welcome Paul Clement as his interim replacement at the Department of Justice. As a former counsel to Sen. John Ashcroft, Paul has proven himself over the years to be in possession of a sophisticated and thoughtful legal mind. And as the current solicitor general of the United States, he knows what it takes to be an effective advocate on behalf of the people of this country. "

___

The Justice Department under Gonzales "suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence." - Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

___

"It is a sad day when the attorney general of the United States resigns amid a cloud of suspicion that the system of justice has been manipulated for political purposes. More than accountability, we need answers. ....If the power of the prosecutor has been misused in the name of partisanship, we deserve a full airing of the facts." — Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., House Judiciary chairman.

___

"He has exhibited a lack of candor with Congress and the American people and a disdain for the rule of law and our constitutional system. I strongly urge President Bush to nominate a new attorney general who will respect our laws and restore the integrity of the office." — Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

___

"Long overdue. The president must nominate an attorney general who is a lawyer for the American people, not a political arm of the White House." — New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson.

___

"Better late than never." — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

___

"It's about time ... Gonzales now joins a long list of Republican officials resigning under a cloud of scandal, but these resignations cannot purge the Bush administration of its problems. The true problem rests with the Bush White House itself, which continues to put what's best for the Republican Party ahead of what's best for America." — Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...zales_quotes_2


the irony of some of the quotes presented ...

[Jolie Rouge]

Last month, Gonzales promised Sen. Jeff Sessions he would look into the deportation of criminal aliens last month. Think it’ll be a priority?



SESSIONS: Mr. Attorney General, with regard to some of the immigration questions that we’re facing, there’s so many matters that are within the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. The effectiveness of our immigration enforcement policies depend on good policies within the Department of Justice.

And I was recently reminded of a serious problem we have with regard to aliens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States. Mr. Harley Lappin, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, recently told us and this committee within the last year, I believe, that 27 percent of the federal prison population is foreign-born.

We have laws that I think authorize the removal from our country of persons who are convicted of crimes immediately upon the completion of their sentence, as I recall the statutes.

I would note the article by Michelle Malkin (ph) quoting some of the examples we’ve had here, where Mr. Adhahn was convicted of — relating to his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of 12-year- old Zina Linnik in Tacoma, Washington, on July 4th.

SESSIONS: He had been convicted, apparently, of incest in 1990 and had sexually assaulted his 16-year-old relative, got that pleaded down to second-degree rape.

Two years later, he was convicted of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and the law calls for — says that anyone convicted of a weapons offense is deportable. But he wasn’t deported, and that’s how, apparently, this murder occurred.

Another instance was Mwenda Murithi, arrested 27 times without deportation before being arrested in the shooting death of a 13-year- old innocent bystander, Schanna Gayden, last month in Illinois.

So I guess I’m asking you about this whole policy, whether or not you have taken a lead to see that it’s carried out. Do you believe it should be systematically and regularly carried out? And if there are any statutory weaknesses, do you have any suggestions about how they should be improved?

GONZALES: I think it should be carried out.

I am aware that probably the level of cooperation that exists between the department and DHS on this issue is not as good as it should be, Senator.

What I would like to do is have the opportunity — maybe have a conversation with Secretary Chertoff — to see whether or not we can do something to improve the situation.

Legislation may not be necessary, but, obviously, it may turn out to be the case that we may need to have some help from Congress.

SESSIONS: As I understand, the Department of Homeland Security I.G. estimated last year that half of the 650,000 foreign-born inmates in prisons and jails won’t be removed because they say that, quote, “Does not have the resources to identify, detain and remove them.”

Is that true?

GONZALES: I’ve heard that as a possible complaint or challenge. That very well may be the case.

Again, what I’d like to do is have the opportunity to sit down with Secretary Chertoff. I have not spoken with the secretary about this particular issue. I would be happy to do so.

And if there is something that would be helpful from the Congress, I’d like to have the opportunity to talk to you about.

SESSIONS: Well, I hope that you would, because I think that’s a major issue here. People are concerned when we pass laws in Congress and then our law enforcement officials don’t enforce them and don’t execute them and leaving criminals in the United States in large numbers.

Now, I understand there are a number of prisons that do not participate in the institutional removal program. Do you think it would be beneficial to expand this program to all federal prisons?

GONZALES: I can see very good arguments why that would make sense. And I plan on speaking with Harley Lappin, the director, and see what the status is and the challenges that exist with respect to implementing in all the prisons.

[dv8grl]

God save us all !

totally!
hes soooo clueless about Homeland Security... we're all doomed

[Jolie Rouge]

August 27, 2007[b]
Gonzales Resigns[/i]

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive.../08/018291.php

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned; a replacement is expected to be named soon. That confirmation hearing will be something to see.

The New York Times leads the story:

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned.

False accusations of perjury, made largely by the Times itself. More apt commentary came from an unnamed administration official:

The official said that the decision was Mr. Gonzales's and that the president accepted it grudgingly. At the same time, the official acknowledged that the turmoil over his tenure as Attorney General had made continuing difficult. "The unfair treatment that he's been on the receiving end of has been a distraction for the department," the official said.

PAUL adds: I've never been a fan of Gonzales, but I can't help feeling sorry for him. The "scandal" that led to his demise -- the firing of the U.S. attorneys -- appears to involve no wrongdoing on his part. Moreover, the underlying decisions and process appear to have been the product of the White House, not Gonzales. His defense of the decisions was hardly stellar, but if I'm correct, he was handicapped by the fact that they were not really his decisions.

Gonzales's only real offense seems to have been mediocrity. But mediocrity in an Attorney General is nothing new (think Janet Reno), and any blame for this occurrence properly attaches to the White House.

Often the biggest favor a president can do for a friend is to not appoint him or her to very high office.

JOHN adds: President Bush gave a short statement in Texas, in which he defended Gonzales:

President Bush on Monday said he reluctantly accepted the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose "good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons."

After months of standing by his top prosecutor and "close friend," Bush spoke briefly in Texas to praise Gonzales, saying the attorney general endured "unfair treatment that has created harmful distraction at the Justice Department."

Bush said it's "sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person" is impeded "from doing important work."

All true, and good to see. Unfortunately, the administration has hit back against its Democratic opponents far too rarely and far too gently.

[Jolie Rouge]

Our view on the attorney general:
Gonzales' successor faces damage-repair challenge
Tue Aug 28, 12:22 AM ET

Alberto Gonzales wasn't the first presidential pal to be named attorney general, and he probably won't be the last. But his stormy, unsuccessful tenure at the Justice Department demonstrates yet again why the job is too important to be filled on the basis of cronyism.

Gonzales, who announced his long-awaited and much-demanded resignation on Monday, leaves his successor a department with eroded morale and tattered credibility.

His failure is cause for sadness, because until he came to grief at Justice, Gonzales was an American success story. Born to struggling migrant workers, he made his way to Harvard law school, joined a prestigious Texas law firm and eventually became the nation's first Hispanic attorney general.

Along the way, though, he began to confuse loyalty with duty. Gonzales, who entered the Bush orbit when he served as the then-Texas governor's general counsel in the 1990s, never understood that being the president's lawyer and confidant are utterly different from being the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Bush's combative, bitter acceptance of Gonzales' resignation showed that the president didn't grasp the distinction either. Nor did Bush seem to understand what has long been clear, even to the president's Republican allies on Capitol Hill: His amiable friend wasn't just excessively loyal — he was in over his head in a sensitive job.

The past several months have been painful to watch. Gonzales' shifting, contradictory explanations for the controversial firing of nine U.S. attorneys undermined his credibility. In one congressional hearing, Gonzales used some version of the phrase "I don't recall" more than 70 times. Democrats warned that he was flirting with perjury charges; Republicans openly doubted him and called on him to quit.

Even before he became attorney general, Gonzales seemed more interested in justifying the administration's aggressive use of executive powers than in applying the law. As White House counsel, his legal opinions stretched the Constitution to provide a rationale for abandoning the Geneva Conventions, holding terror suspects indefinitely without charges, and stripping Congress and the courts of any right to review the administration's acts. Shockingly, he tried to get his predecessor, John Ashcroft, to sign off on legally questionable intelligence-gathering methods while seriously ill in a hospital.

At Gonzales' confirmation hearings, the overriding question was whether he could make the switch from lawyer for the White House to lawyer for the nation. His inability to do that caused his downfall and sets the agenda for his successor, who has much work to do in rebuilding the Justice Department's credibility in Congress and reassuring the nation that the department isn't just a political arm of the White House.

Bush has shown he can make such a switch. The model is the president's replacement of another Cabinet member who overstayed his welcome, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Robert Gates, who succeeded Rumsfeld, has been a breath of fresh air at the Pentagon.

Bush's challenge now is to find a replacement for Gonzales who can similarly remove the cloud at Justice, a search best expanded beyond the president's circle of buddies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/200...0cDT16qzOs0NUE



Opposing view:
'Months of unfair treatment'
Tue Aug 28, 12:21 AM ET


Excerpts from President Bush's statement Monday about the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation with great appreciation for the service that he has provided for our country.

As attorney general and before that as White House counsel, Al Gonzales has played a role in shaping our policies in the war on terror and has worked tirelessly to make this country safer. The (USA) Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act and other important laws bear his imprint.

Under his leadership, the Justice Department has made a priority of protecting children from Internet predators and made enforcement of civil rights laws a top priority. He aggressively and successfully pursued public corruption and effectively combated gang violence.

As attorney general, he played an important role in helping to confirm two fine jurists in Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

He did an outstanding job as White House counsel, identifying and recommending the best nominees to fill critically important federal court vacancies.

Alberto Gonzales' tenure as attorney general and White House counsel is only part of a long history of distinguished public service that began as a young man when, after high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. When I became governor of Texas in 1995, I recruited him from one of Texas' most prestigious law firms to be my general counsel. He went on to become Texas' 100th secretary of state and to serve on our state's supreme court. In the long course of our work together this trusted adviser became a close friend. ...

After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position, and I accept his decision. It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is (impeded) from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/200...liCG9aMl_8B2YD