I am so not amused to find, after a couple days' absence from blogging due to that pesky thing called "real life," that there are seven hundred thousand articles giving John E. a free pass just because he suggested, long after dozens of Democrats did, that Abu G might not be the right man for the job of Attorney General. Here's a representative quote from a Portsmouth Herald op-ed:
New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, a Republican, did come to see the difference between loyalty and the law and was one of the first to call for the ouster of Gonzales months ago. Sununu said after Gonzales announced his resignation Monday that it was time to change just to get back to work with a new face in place.
"Our country needs a credible, effective attorney general who can work with Congress on critical issues ranging from immigration to investigating terrorism at home and abroad," he said. While the Sprinter makes hay for his re-election planning, I couldn't help but notice the phrase "investigating terrorism at home and abroad." In fact, it reminded me of why I started noticing Sununu's statements and votes in the first place - during the confirmation hearings for Alberto Gonzales.
You see, maybe I'm just a prima donna or something, but I found it to be appalling and nightmarish that one of the architects of our torture policy was going to be installed as our chief law enforcement officer. Like very many others, I found it (and still find it) both deeply perverted and frightening. And a complete betrayal of traditional American values.
That's why I wrote Senator Sununu urging him to oppose the confirmation. I received a form response identical to this one:
Judge Gonzales advised the President that all detainees should be treated humanely, but as a legal matter, al Qaeda and Taliban fighters are not considered "legal combatants" and are not covered by the Geneva Convention. This allows U.S. officials to detain, question, and prosecute terrorist suspects; a critical component of the war on terrorism. This legal position has been affirmed by multiple federal courts across the country, the 9/11 Commission, the Schlesinger Report, and human rights organizations that have been frequent critics of the Administration's policies.
Disgusting on several fronts. One, because I have yet to find a human rights group that considers abandoning the Geneva Conventions hunky dory. Two, because the Sprinter is hiding behind legalisms here - essentially using niceties of jurisprudence to mask an inherently abhorrent practice. And three, most importantly, he, through this letter and his vote to confirm Bush's favorite Fredo, endangered the safety and security of our own men and women in uniform by lowering the standards of conduct given to detainees in war.
Let's not forget who put Alberto Gonzales there in the first place - waterboarding water carriers like John E. Sununu. |
