Democrats hail Gonzales exit
The Democratic presidential hopefuls who months ago joined the chorus calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to step aside cheered his resignation yesterday, but also vowed to scrutinize President Bush's nominee to replace him.
Gonzales symbolized what critics call the politicization of the Justice Department and the erosion of the rule of law. He has given conflicting answers about the firings of federal prosecutors before the November 2006 election, and his memos have been blamed for leading to torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq.
"I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda," Barack Obama said in a statement. ". . . The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people's lawyer, not the President's lawyer."
John Edwards issued a statement that said, "The man who oversaw a political purge of US attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay, and approved illegal spying on Americans has stepped down -- this is a victory for all of us."
Bill Richardson said the departure "is long overdue" and called on Bush to "nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people, not a political arm of the White House."
The GOP presidential hopefuls took longer to react to the resignation. Mitt Romney issued a statement recognizing Gonzales for his "many years of public service," but said he had "made the right decision to step aside."
"The resignation is an opportunity for President Bush to renew the nation's commitment to the law enforcement officers and personnel who are dedicated to enforcing the rule of law and protecting the American people from the threat of terrorism around the globe," Romney said.
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Clinton defended her decision to accept the donations, saying she has a long track record of fighting for national healthcare that demonstrates she's not influenced by special-interest giving.
"My record shows I've been very effective in that," the New York senator said. "I believe in working with everybody and being influenced by nobody."
In a separate appearance at the forum hosted by cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, Edwards warned that powerful interest groups killed efforts to create universal healthcare when Clinton spearheaded the effort of her husband's administration.
"I think the lesson from that, my lesson, is not the same as hers," the former North Carolina senator said. "Her lesson is give them a seat the table. I think if you give the drug companies, insurance companies, and their lobbyists a seat at the table, they'll eat all the food."
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Richardson's plan focuses on police and firefighters who want to retire from their physically demanding jobs after 20 years of work. It would pay for health coverage for first responders from the time they retire until they become eligible for Medicare. He would split the cost between the federal government and state and local governments, a move he estimates would cost the federal government $500 million a year.
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