Deseret News | Reader comments: Hatch defends Gonzales as attorney general announces resignation

Reader comments
Hatch defends Gonzales as attorney general announces resignation

Bart | 11:11 a.m. Aug. 27, 2007

For the sake of constitutional government in this country, the resignation of Alberto Gonzales is a welcome relief. The poor fellow should never have been thrown into that mix in the first place. I am so tired of having "friends" instead of competence run various departments in Washington.

Laytonian | 11:27 a.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Sounds like Hatch wants the job!

I hope he gets it, then we can elect someone effective. Since the Republicans are no longer in power, Utah has lost whatever clout our little state had, by insisting on voting only for one party.

Y'all reaped what y'all voted for: Hatch, a man whose campaign promised to not serve more than two terms.

amused subscriber | 11:52 a.m. Aug. 27, 2007

What i don't agree with is the Mud slinging. I think it is an american freedom to Fire someone.Many people get fired. Why is it not a right to fire an overload of attorneys? The right to disagree is their income. A farmer said, "the more the 'crap' is stired the more it stinks. We americans better mend our differences soon or being so at odds with our fellow americans will destroy this greatest of countries!!!!!

Comments continue below

Greg | 12:00 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Gonzales was run out of office in a successful conclusion to a highly partisan political witch hunt. I still do not know which laws were broken by AG Gonzales. No one in Congress has yet shed much light on the matter.

The closest anyone in Congress has come is the inuendo filled memorandom of July 24, 2007 from John Conyers, Jr., Chairman, to members of the House Committee on the Judiciary.

I just have to wonder whether--if the firings of the US attorneys for failure to pursue possible vote fraud cases had involved cases potentially benefitting Democratic candidates--would the Democrats in Congress have been so exercised about the firings?

Anonymous | 12:05 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Alberto Gonzales' resignation was a welcome relief. This is yet another example of how people who aren't used to anything act like fools once they get it. He was an embarrassment to the very people who he represented, those who aren't wanted or needed in this country anyway.

Kyle | 12:12 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Bart,
What does the Ganzales resignation have to do with our constitutional government? I don't get it.

Bookaholic | 1:11 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Gonzales was and is a class act. Bright, accomplished and decent. Ran out of town by the shameless anti-American Marxist Democrats. He just got tired of fighting off the attack dogs when all he was trying to do was his job.

The eight attorneys fired work at the pleasure of the President. One of the attorneys let go was here in Washington state. He didn't think it was important to investigate election fraud. Here's what happened: In the first two machine counts Rossi won. It was close so his opponent asked for a hand recount. Amazingly, heavily Democrat King County started finding votes everywhere...under the stairs, in the back room, under the carpet, the felon vote, multiple vote casting...enough to sway the count. Two machine counts favored the Republican, hand counts produced another. Nothing there to cause concern, right? Nothing could get him to look into the matter. His party won. Who cared if it was fraudulent?

Clinton fired all attorneys general when he came in the door--one in Arkansas working on the White Water scandal. (Many people pled guilty or were convicted and went to jail in that case.) Later, he fired a whole bunch of others. Somehow, this is acceptable, but Bush getting rid of poorly performing attorneys is horrendous.

Gonzales got tired of the ankle-biters and the on-going liberal sleaze machine. Who can blame him? And, what does it portend for the future when political hacks can destroy the career of good public servants for their party's benefit and to the country's hurt?

Henry Clay | 1:58 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Gonzo is not bright. He couldn't even tell the story of what happened with the firings of the AGs. As of today, it appears he didn't break any laws. But he was caught in numerous lies trying to tell a twisted version of why they were fired. There are more vacancies in the AG office right now than any other period of history. Witch hunt? I think not. After listening to him defend himself it is clear he couldn't explain how to get to the the post office in his home town. He is not a good spokesperson for the constitution. Good riddance.

Amen | 1:59 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Bookaholic... Thank you... You said a lot of what I wanted to... I didn't however know what happened in Washington state...

Bookworm | 2:01 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Gonzales was a disgrace to our legal system for, among other things, his inability to tell the truth. His testimony over the fired US attorneys was contradictory to other statements he'd made, and emails and testimony from Sampson and others corroborate that this man was not telling the truth.

I personally find his lies inexcusable, and am happy to see him go.

While partisanship always plays into these things, for me (a Republican), the case is pretty clear that Gonzalez doesn't have the integrity necessary to hold this position.

Douglas | 2:22 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

This is a great day for America. And one day soon we will be able to call ourselves the Land of the Free again.

Aaron | 2:27 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

A class act? Bookaholic, are you kidding me? He was in favor of spying that made even John Ashcroft uncomfortable, and he's been doing nothing but drag the Bush Administration further down. People don't seem to understand that Bush's people are very cavalier in their taking away of civil liberties. I don't disagree with all of Bush's politics; I just hope we get someone in office who will at least respect people's right to dissenting opinions, and be willing to have conversations with people we don't like. That's part of the job.

tOSU | 2:31 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Alright Fixed News watchers, and KSL radio listeners, try doing some research and see what you can find out about 'vote caging'. This is the real underlying reason they were fired, for not towing a political party line that was helping to keep 1000's from voting in important states like Florida and Ohio.

Santiago | 3:04 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Don't even THINK about being the new AG, Hatch!

fbear | 3:33 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Oh please take Hatch. Get him OUT of the senate quick!

Jeff | 3:34 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

This is what we have come to expect from Hatch. His moral compass never had a sense of direction. Were did Hatch learn that lying to maintain power was moral?

Kevin | 3:34 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

santiago
look at it this way If hatch were the new Ag we would be rid of him in two years and at the same time we would be rid of him as our Senitor thats a win win

UtahMan | 3:56 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

If Hatch is appointed, I'm affraid he won't have any more time to write poetry.

Gill | 3:56 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Nah, he'll always make time for poetry. Even if it's costing tax dollars.

gamerjohn | 3:57 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Considering the history that Mormons have with government taking away personal rights and abuse of process, it is funny how absent minded the right wing can be in forgetting that the were victims once and probably will be again.

Mark | 4:14 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Hey you two, Senator Hatch is my grandfather and our family doesn't appreciate this type of slander. Please stop talking this way about him. His talents are personal and beautiful.

Ben | 4:17 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

It's about time that liar was thrown out! I'm so glad Bush and his cronies will be out of office soon.

Kirk | 5:04 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

I'm not thinking ANYone who supports what Gonzalez was up to can be confirmed by the Senate. But maybe Hatch can resign when BabyBush sends in his appointment and he can take his chances on being confirmed

Be nice! | 5:36 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

I admire Alberto Gonzales and wish him well. Despite being Bush's friend, he was also exceedingly qualified for the job. Senator Hatch is great too. He's one of the most recognizable members of Congress (yes, senators as well as reps. are congressmen) He's been good for Utah. I wrote him a letter about something I was concerned about and he (or at least his staff, but he signed it) wrote me back immediately and followed it through. He's a good guy. President Bush is also a good man and a good president.

jdf | 6:20 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

I hate to see this because Gonzalez is a good man and no one has presented any evidence of any wrongdoing. It sets a dangerous precidence that with enough mudslinging and crap thrown someone's way they will be rid of regardless of whether they have done anything wrong.

For all of you like Ben, above, this stuff just keeps getting nastier. When your favorite liberal takes office just watch what crap comes her (???) way. I just think the baseless accusations and slanderous comments are worse than useless.

The bottom line is that no one has proved anything against Mr. Gonzalez so keep your cronie and liar comments to yourself. Thinking people and this country deserve better, no matter the party affiliation.

The President appoints these attorneys and he can surely fire them. I just don't see how the matter is any more complicated than this.

Bipartisan not partisan effort | 7:13 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

This was a bipartisan effort here. BOTH parties had questions. I do not see any partisan work here as some claim.

As for Hatch, I lost respect for him a long time ago. When I heard what he "claimed" when he first ran for the Senate and said he wouldn't run more than 2 terms or that no one should run more than 2 terms. He's a hypocrite here all in the name of "senority." There are numerous other occations I can say he is only self serving and not really thinking about those he respresents.

Bookaholic | 7:46 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

Liberal hyper-paranoia is out of control. It's wrong to keep our eyes on the enemy? Checking out their movements and listening to their calls from out of the country is a bad thing?

These liberals don't know a single, solitary individual whose liberties have been impinged upon (unless they hang out with radical, fundamentalist Muslims, perhaps), yet they are freaked out about the possibility. The fact that Bush and Homeland Security has kept the country safe for the past six years has not been happenstance. Why don't they recognize the good work that's been done? Why aren't they grateful? Because Bush-mania has made them lose what few marbles they once possessed.

The surveillance of our enemies has worked to prevent numerous attacks in the country and out, and prevented thousands of deaths. Somehow, none of this registers with them. They care about and understand only party and power. It's pathetic. Their love of power and their skewed world view is their religion. It means more to them than our safety. They're nuts.

Until we regain some measure of control over the indoctrination currently being done in the schools and universities, we will remain on thin ice. Reading this thread, you can see the distorted world view and venom they have ingested at the feet of their old hippy professors. Liberals don't care to bare and raise children for the most part; conservatives do. However, we'll never gain much ground in pulling back from our current moral bankrupcy or resurrect normal thought and behavior until we break the hold of the leftist/socialist education unions on the schools. Many teachers are good and do what they can, but there hordes of old 60s has-beens teaching their perversion to our kids. God help us!

Mark B | 8:15 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

It's not as though Gonzales never had a chance to set the record straight on a dozen accusations. The Senate brought him in, and about all he could say was "I don't recall." How many times would you hear that before concluding that someone was lying? AG said it about 70 times - in one day! Even the Republicans on the committee were disgusted. What would he have to do for you diehards to think maybe this is NOT the guy who should be entrusted with protecting our civil liberties?

Jed | 10:34 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

I wouldn't be surprise of Hatch was close friends with Senator Larry Craig, R-Idaho.

James | 11:54 p.m. Aug. 27, 2007

I am happy that Mr. Gonzales is gone. I like Hatch.

Being the replacement for Mr. Gonzales, in my opinion, would be good for Utah and the strengthening of the United States Constitution.

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