Yesterday George Bush nominated White House Counsel and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has expressed serious concerns about the nomination:
"I commend Mr. Gonzales on his nomination to be Attorney General, but I'm concerned about aspects of his record as White House Counsel that raise doubts about his commitment to the rule of law. Even Secretary of State Powell objected to Mr. Gonzales' memorandum undermining the Geneva Conventions, which Mr. Gonzales called 'obsolete' and 'quaint.' "Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has issued a statement that was less specific, but in some ways just as telling:
"These confirmation hearings will be a rare opportunity for the Senate and the public to finally get some answers on several issues for which the Administration has resisted accountability, including its use of the PATRIOT Act, the lack of cooperation with Congress on oversight, and the policies that have been rejected by the courts on the treatment of detainees. This also may be the only remaining forum in which to examine more fully the steps that were taken to weaken U.S. policy on torture in the period that led to the prison scandals at Abu Ghraib and Afghanistan."The ACLU has called for thorough confirmation hearings, urging Senators to press him on issues of civil liberties.
