Ashcroft Resigns: Bush Seeks to Elevate Former Texas Supreme Court Judge to Become Next AG

Bush Taps Gonzales for Attorney General
November 10, 2004
Richard Tomkins, UPI White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush announced Wednesday his selection of White House General Counsel and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as U.S. attorney general. "

Gonzales, who embraced Bush as he stepped to the podium Wednesday, promised to fulfill his new duties and to be an attorney general for all Americans.

"As a former judge, I know well that some government positions require a special level of trust and integrity," he said. "The American people expect and deserve a Department of Justice guided by the rule of law, and there should be no question about the department's commitment to justice for every American. On this principle there can be no compromise."

Bush, in heralding Gonzales, his background and his commitment to enforcing all laws, noted the road to achievement wasn't always easy. Gonzales, he pointed out, grew up with seven siblings in a two-bedroom home in Texas built by his migrant-worker parents.

Gonzales' confirmation may not be without rancor. The American Civil Liberties Union Wednesday fired an opening shot in what could be a contentious confirmation process.

The organization called for Senate questioning of Gonzales' positions on key civil liberty and human rights issues.

"Particular attention should be devoted to exploring Mr. Gonzales' proposed policies on the constitutionality of the Patriot Act, the Guantanamo Bay detentions (of foreign terror suspects) the designation of United States citizens as enemy combatants and reproductive rights (abortion), the ACLU wrote.

The organization wants particular attention paid to a May 16 memo in which Gonzales allegedly denigrated certain legal protections in the Geneva Convention for people captured during military hostilities.