What's important about Alberto Gonzales

A few posts ago I took a brief, frightening moment to consider who might be nominated to replace Attorney General John Ashcroft. The answer has presented itself--so let's discuss.

The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin notes that the majority of major news outlets do not lead their articles on Gonzales with his connection to the so-called "torture memo." (In case you're interested, here's the smoking gun section of that memo in which the authors introduce the idea that the Geneva Conventions prohibiting torture are not binding upon the executive branch of the U.S. I'm no lawyer, but it seems pretty fucked up to me.)

World Net Daily: "Pro-life activists are criticizing President Bush's choice of Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as attorney general, worrying the White House counsel will not aggressively uphold the administration's anti-abortion stance." Woo hoo! Though our friends at Planned Parenthood and NARAL are withholding judgement for the time being, posting only straight news on Gonzales on their websites.

The folks at the Center for American Progress are much less, mmm, judicious, pointing up not only the torture memo issue but also failings in decisions on the death penalty and possible graft.