BlogHer - Gonzales Resigns: What to Read - Comments

You're right Dana

Denise — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:31:32 -0500

My partner is a Republican and pretty proud of that. It doesn't mean she supports every single republican issue. And it certainly doesn't mean she can't also be a lesbian (which many people have suggested) or a feminist.

You're a Republican and a Christian but that doesn't mean you're exactly like every other Republican or every other Christian - you are your own person, you have a wide range of beliefs and support a wide range of ideas. Right? :-)

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

"Republican" is a label. I

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:19:24 -0500

"Republican" is a label. I use that label for myself based on my values. Just because I call myself a Republican doesn't mean I align myself with every single politician of my party.

I long for the days when these labels weren't considered dirty words: Liberal, Democrat, Conservative, Republican. It makes people across both parties shudder to hear these words these days.

Lesbian Republican

Denise — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:57:23 -0500

My partner is a lesbian republican and a feminist. It's not that hard to believe, actually.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Replacement of Gonzales with Patriot Act Co-Author

artpax — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:07:47 -0500

The really scary thing is that the co-author of the Patriot Act is the person who Bush II will likely have replace Gonzales.

The replacement of a man of arrogance with a willingly treasonous architect of American Fascism is more than a bit frightening. Of course he is also the person who delayed any possibility of national intervention into New Orleans by at least a day and half.

Chertoff also has not addressed the rabid speculation that he holds dual citizenship as an Israeli as well as a U.S. citizen. Why doesn't he just say whether his mother had Israeli citizenship and thus effectively conferred it to him unless he renounces it?

These issues raise enough suspicion in my mind to need very direct and specific answers to the questions these concerns raise.

I
Build Peace
My Life As An Avatar

I find it incredible

heivilinj — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:40:17 -0500

That with all these blows to women's issues, how many women can still call themselves (some proudly) "Republican"!

Jim Heivilin
(who longs for the days when "republican" mainly meant fiscally conservative)

Just because you're a minority and a pioneer

Morra Aarons Mele — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:43:44 -0500

doesn't mean you have the same views as the majority of those in your gender or race.

I'm not excusing Gonzales, Rice, Miers, Powell, Hughes, Goodling, etc. But we need to judge all Bush officials equally. I admire what Gonzales overcame to get where he is today, but I don't excuse his tramping all over human rights, or turning a supposed blind eye to the firings of US Attorneys.

Liza is brilliant

Denise — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:10:33 -0500

And once again she hit the nail on the head. Thorn in the side INDEED.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Can't Wait for Late Night

Pam — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:58:45 -0500

I'll bet they're skipping in the hallways over at the Daily Show.

Nerd's Eye View

I thought what Liza from Culture Kitchen said was interesting

Kim Pearson — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:53:31 -0500

From her post: "Blanquito vs. Latino or the unbearable lightness of being Alberto Gonzales"

"To me though, what's really is important is how Gonzales' fall is not just a foible of his character. To me what is important here is how the Bush administration has used the idea of "diversity" to empower into corruption racial, ethnic and gender minorities.

"Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice are a thorn in the side of black people in this country who have had to stand by, with mixed feelings, about how they could get to such high and powerful positions and yet serve as ennablers in an illegal war. Not only did Colin Powell lie about weapons of mass destruction, but Condoleeza Rice has submissively as his political mistress, deployed to use her charm around the world as his main obsfuscator.

"Condoleeza does double duty in the gender department along with White House Secret Keeper Counsel Harriet Myers. Where were all the women of the Republican party when Roe v. Wade was gutted? Where were they when the right to choose was taken away from teenage girls? Where were they when violence against reproductive health clinics was laughed at with the enshrining of John Roberts in the Supreme Court?"

It doesn't stop there. ...

BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Gonzales Resigns: What to Read

Morra Aarons Mele — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:32:04 -0500

Breaking: CT Senator Joe Lieberman as new Attorney General?

Alberto Gonzales resigned. Gonzales said: "I have lived the American dream." The first Latino to helm the Justice Department said his "worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days."

The big question is, why now?

I have no color commentary on this. I'm just waiting to see who else gets cleaned out of the Bush Administration before Labor Day. But if you're looking for good takes on the resignation, here are some thoughts:

Bill Moyers: Why now?

Here's Latina blogger Marisa Trevino:

"Rightly or wrongly, because there are still too few highly accomplished Latinos in the public arena, whether it be politics, sports, entertainment, etc., there exists a collective pride among Latinos when “one of our own” makes it....For a son of Mexican migrants, at a time when it’s these very people who are being persecuted, hunted down and corralled into prison camps (including children), the impact of what Alberto lost and the power that he could have utilized to make a difference in this persecution may finally be brought home to him - if only he had remembered where he started.
That should have been the case with Alberto Gonzales."

Ok Marisa: good point. But why did Papa Bush defend Alberto as if Gonzales were incapable of defending himself? Makes the whole thing seem like Gonzales was a product of design to promote a minority rather than a grown up who f**ed up and needs to pay the price? Bush said Gonzales got "unfair treatment." That's awful whiny from the President.

The 2008 candidates on the resignation:

"Because he betrayed his obligations and the trust of the American people, I welcome today’s announcement that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned his post as Attorney General of the United States," said Hillary Clinton.

CNN: Is (Homeland Security Secretary) Michael Chertoff in the running as the successor Attorney General?

Some senior administration officials floated Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff as a possible replacement, but others waved CNN away from Chertoff, saying that his nomination could run into problems because of his role during Hurricane Katrina.
A congressional source familiar with deliberations about Gonzales' replacement told CNN that the successor will not be Chertoff and that senior administration officials are "playing you guys," referring to the media.

A source close to Chertoff said of a possible nomination, "this would be a surprise to Mike."

In other Washington slime: a (apparently gay, Republican) Senator was found guilty of lewd conduct. See Talking Points Memo for why this hurts a big time GOP candidate.