We on the west coast just awoke to this lovely piece of news:
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. He is expected to announce the decision to reporters at 10:30 Eastern time this morning in Washington.Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation for months, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, a senior administration official said.
Sen. Harry Reid released this statement:
"Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove," he said. "This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."
Jonathan reported there have been rumblings about Michael Chertoff replacing Gonzo. CNN reports Bush is "likely" to nominate him for the position. And what do you know, he actually seems sort of qualified.
Chertoff, 53, previously sat on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which handles appeals from New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands.Before becoming a judge, he was assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice's criminal division from 2001 to 2003.
Gonzales is about to speak at a press conference.
Update [2007-8-27 10:47:12 by Todd Beeton]: Looks like Gonzales will step down on September 17. Not surprisingly, he didn't take questions when he announced his resignation. Bush will be speaking in a few minutes. In the meantime, here are some more Democratic reactions (h/t DemFromCT): Gov. Bill Richardson:"Long overdue. The president must nominate an attorney general who is a lawyer for the American people, not a political arm of the White House."Sen. Barack Obama:
"I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda, and so I am pleased that he has finally resigned today. The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people's lawyer, not the President's lawyer, and in an Obama Administration that person will first and foremost defend and promote the rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution," said Obama.Sen. John Edwards:
"Better late than never."
To add a quick thought (Jonathan)... There were a number of people who believed that Congress' ongoing investigation into the prosecutor purge scandal was a waste of time, that it would not eventually bear fruit in any real changes. Indeed, I became fairly pessimistic that anything much would arise out of the hearings into Gonzales' improprieties, however important I believed those hearings to be. Yet today the Attorney General is out -- something that would have never occurred had it not been for the diligence of the Congress in examining the ways in which Gonzales had allowed (and perhaps condoned) the politicization and partisanization of the Department of Justice. So kudos to those who stuck with ths investigation throughout all of these months.
Update [2007-8-27 11:42:11 by Todd Beeton]: And some more reactions: Sen. Chris Dodd:"Mr. Gonzales' Justice Department became a political wing of the Bush Administration and his resignation is long overdue. I will only vote to confirm a nominee for Attorney General who is truly independent and who will guarantee reforms that restore and uphold the Constitution."Sen. Joe Biden:
"As I've said before, Attorney General Gonzales has lost the confidence of the vast majority of the American people and the Congress. His resignation is long overdue. "When I voted against Attorney General Gonzales' confirmation, I voiced concern about his ability to go from being the President's lawyer to the people's lawyer. I expressed doubts then about his judgment in light of his track record, and role as an architect of policies attempting to place the President above the law. "My skepticism was confirmed by his conduct, and his failure to put protecting the American people over protecting the President. The next Attorney General should not make the same mistake."Update [2007-8-27 14:8:11 by Todd Beeton]: Senator Clinton responds:
This resignation is long overdue, and so is the appointment of an Attorney General who will put the rule of law and our Constitution above partisan politics. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took an oath to uphold our Constitution and respect the rule of law, but time and time again, he demonstrated that his loyalties lie with the President and his political agenda, not the American people or the evenhanded and impartial enforcement of our laws. In his actions and inaction, from warantless wiretaps to the firing of U.S. Attorneys, his loyalty was to the President, not the American people. The Department's hardworking lawyers, law enforcement officers, and staff are trusted to defend our Constitution, not one Administration or political party. That trust is central to the sanctity of the rule of law and the vitality of our democracy. Because he betrayed his obligations and the trust of the American people, I welcome today's announcement that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned his post as Attorney General of the United States. My hope is that the President will select a new Attorney General who will respect the rule of law and abandon partisanship, who will serve the American people and not the President's political ideology, and who will answer to the Constitution and not political operatives. It is past time to clean up this mess and restore non-partisan accountability and competence to the Department of Justice. The second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is one more reminder that the President must appoint someone to lead the Department of Justice with the leadership and competence necessary to defend the Constitution.
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