My local DINO voted to confirm Alberto Gonzales as US Attorney General. I asked him not to, but he did anyway. I got my feelings hurt, so I decided to write a follow-up letter.
Dear Senator Salazar,
I called your office during the Alberto Gonzales' confirmation hearings, showing my support for a filibuster. Unfortunately, you voted for cloture and voted to confirm him. In light of the ongoing scandals surrounding this man, do you regret your confirmation vote? I would like a response.
Sincerely,
XXX
Salazar's response:
Dear XXX:
Thank you for your comments. I am very concerned about Attorney General Gonzales’ leadership role at the Department of Justice in light of the recent situation concerning the firing of eight United States Attorneys.
I'm concerned too. Do you regret your vote to confirm Alberto Gonzales?
I am disappointed that the Department of Justice may have blurred the line between representation of the President as his personal counsel, and representation of the people of the United States as Attorney General.
May have? It's my understanding that lines were deliberately crossed.
This is a distinction that I understand well, having served as both chief legal counsel to the governor of Colorado and later as the Colorado Attorney General. If Attorney General Gonzales has indeed crossed this line, then he has forfeited his right to lead the Department of Justice.
Bragging about wisdom....bragging about past positions... If?
With your experience, you should have no problem recognizing when the US Attorney General crosses the line. Is torture crossing the line? Apparently not. For some reason I don't think anything will be considered "crossing the line."
Every day, as the Senate Judiciary Committee continues its investigation into the dismissal of these U.S. Attorneys, we see more revelations of how the Department of Justice may have allowed portions of the U.S. Attorney corps to become a vehicle for political patronage. This, despite the fact that United States Attorneys are among the most powerful public officials in the country – making virtually unreviewable decisions about life and death, punishment and leniency, every single day. Those individuals must have integrity above reproach – and must be free from partisan interference.
It must be difficult to anticipate a Bush crony abusing the system for political power. Who could imagine?
Oh no, here comes some token legislation that will never be enforced.
In this regard, I have introduced The Furthering Independence of Federal Prosecutors Act. This bill would make it a crime to coerce, pressure, or attempt to influence a U.S. Attorney’s decision whether to commence the investigation or prosecution of a person based on that person’s race, religion, sex, national origin, political activities or political beliefs. The U.S. Attorneys Manual already prohibits any federal prosecutor from taking action against a person for any of those reasons – my bill would extend this prohibition to individuals who try to influence or manipulate federal prosecutors.
Like Bush, you can't admit you made a mistake. Token legislation won't help you save face here. You are a Lieberman wannabe.
Thank you again for writing. I will continue to monitor this situation very closely, and will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind.
Sincerely,
Ken Salazar
United States Senator
Thank you for avoiding my question. Do you regret your vote to confirm Alberto Gonzales?
http://salazar.senate.gov/...