In a CNN commentary, Ruben NavarretteJr. defends former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, saying that he got an unfair rap from the media because he was Hispanic and because of his Bush affiliation.
Navarrette says it is undeniable that Gonzales made mistakes. During testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales tried to avoid what he feared was a “perjury trap” and wound up claiming a faulty memory prevented him from answering questions about the firings of nine U.S. attorneys.
Although, Gonzales admits he made mistakes, he says the most important thing is not to “be paralyzed by criticism.”
Gonzales stands accused of mismanaging the Justice Department. According to the department’s inspector general and its ethics office have issued reports confirming that top aides improperly filled nonpolitical positions at the discretion of Gonzales.
As America’s first Hispanic Attorney General, his career in public service began in Texas, and Navarrette credits him with keeping America safe after September 11, 2001. Navarrette argues that if Gonzales was such an ineffective manager of the Department of Justice, then how was he the mastermind of the Bush administration’s anti-terror policies?
Gonzales believes that much of his treatment from the media was unfair and biased and that he faces a double standard, unlike John Ashcroft and Mike Mukasey.
“My positions are very consistent with John Ashcroft’s, and Mike Mukasey’s positions are very consistent with mine. Yet I don’t hear criticism of them. Why is that?”
Ashcroft, Gonzales and Mukasey all carried out the president’s policies in the war on terror. Yet Gonzales was nicknamed “torture boy” by the liberal media. Navarrette believes that since Gonzales was closer to Bush, it made him an inviting target. Prior to becoming the AG, Gonzales also had served as White House counsel.Navarrette believes that the fact that Gonzales is Hispanic was a factor in the mix for his treatment by the media. On one occasion the Harvard- educated native of Humble, Texas was mocked because of his evasive congressional testimony and his plans to write a book by saying that the memoir should be titled, “Yo No Hablo.” (I don’t speak.)
Perhaps, the reason Gonzales is so harshly criticized is because of his political corruption controversies and for his blatant lies to the Senate. He will forever be remembered for his Bush league tactics which got our country into this mess we are in today. This is certainly not a good representation for Hispanics in high power political positions.
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