Extreme Torture Friendly• Alberto Gonzales • Confirmed As
New USA Attorney General • In Charge Of "Justice"
Department
Demo Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid • Joined 35 Other
Senators • To Vote AGAINST Confirmation
Reid Explained:
"Our great Nation was founded on the idea of human rights.
From the very beginning, we were designed to be a place
where men and women could live free, a place where no man
was above the law, a place where the state would never
trample on the rights of individuals.
We did not always live up to our ideals. Along the way, we
stumbled. We have made mistakes. But we always worked
to correct our mistakes. We worked to uphold the core values
that formed our national soul. Because of our unshakable
belief in human rights, we became a ray of light, a beacon for
people in other parts of the world. America has been that
beacon because we are a nation governed by laws, not by
men.
We are a nation where no one, not even the President of the
United States,is above the law. We are a nation where our
military is bound by the uniform Code of Military Justice and
the laws of war. And we are a nation that even at war stands
for and upholds the rule of law.
There is no question gathering intelligence from suspects in
our war on terror is critical to protecting this great Nation.
No one in this
Chamber would argue otherwise, I would think. These are
very bad people with whom we are dealing. But when
interrogation turns to torture, it puts our own soldiers at risk.
It undermines the very freedoms Americans are
fighting to protect.
We are a nation at war--a war in Iraq and a war against
terrorism -- but this war does not give our civilian leaders the
authority to cast aside the laws of armed conflict, nor does it
allow our Commander in Chief to decide which laws apply
and which laws do not apply. To do so puts, I repeat, our
own soldiers and our Nation at risk. But that is what has
occurred under the direction and coordination of the man
seeking to be Attorney General of the United States, Alberto
Gonzales, a man I personally like, but whose judgment on
these very serious matters was flawed and is flawed. I have
heard a great deal on this Senate floor about Judge Gonzales's
background over the last few days, how his parents were
migrant farm workers, and how he worked his way up from
poverty. It is an inspiring story, and it is one that resonates
with me. I met with Judge Gonzales after the President sent
his nomination to the Senate. We talked about our
childhoods, about coming from small rural towns, some
would say without many advantages. The fact that someone
from a place called Humble, TX, and someone from a place
called Searchlight, NV, have had an opportunity to achieve
their dream is what America is all
about.
But, embodying the American dream is not a sufficient
qualification to be Attorney General of the United States. The
Attorney General is the people's lawyer, not the President's
lawyer. He is charged with upholding the Constitution and
the rule of law. The Attorney General must be independent,
and he must be clear that abuses by our Government will not
be tolerated. Judge Gonzales's appearance before the
Judiciary Committee raised serious questions about his ability
to be that force in the Justice Department. That is why I am
going to vote against him"
3:54:49 AM
