Alberto Gonzales -- Must Not Be A Shadow Of Doubt

The Bush Administration is refusing to hand over the torture memos written/supervised by Attorney General-nominee Alberto Gonzales.

This isn't national security stuff here. This is a confirmation hearing on the fitness of a nominee. Those memos go directly to the heart of his qualifications.

American can not possibly have as its Attorney General some one who condones torture. The Attorney General, as the chief lawyer for the Whitehouse must be some one of intense integrity. The Attorney General must be someone of high moral caliber.

Someone who writes legal opinions that justifies torture does not meet those criteria.

The Senate of the United States has a responsibility to evaluate the individuals who are presented to it by the President. It is their duty to weigh the person's past history in order to attempt to predict his future actions. To make a decision on Alberto Gonzales without fully investigating his roll in any possible breaking of the law would be criminal in and of itself.

This is a nonpartisan issue. Neither republicans nor democrats can afford to step aside on this matter. No stone can be left unturned.

Republicans can not simply back Alberto Gonzales because George W. Bush has nominated him. They can not abandon their responsibilities as representatives of the people because of party loyalty.

Democrats can not abdicate their responsibility to fully investigate Alberto Gonzales for fear of republican reprisal. To give ground now would make stopping bad decisions and nominees impossible in the future.

The world has been in stunned disbelieve as we have allowed pragmatism to rule over moral values in the United States. Their opinion however is nothing compared to how American citizens should quake in their boots over the idea that the Senate would knowing confirm a war criminal.

If Alberto Gonzales is innocent then let the facts be brought forth that exonerate him. If the facts say that he did not perpetrate torture by the policy memos he wrote then he could be confirmed if other criteria are met. On the other hand, if they do not, he must be rejected -- forcefully.

Don't kid yourself. This is a bid deal.

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