No Confidence and No Cojones Make Strange Bedfellows (article) by Lisa Adams on AuthorsDen

Alberto Gonzales is off the hook...you think? Ironically, what I found most amusing about the latest "Get Alberto" scenario was that pundits and congressional leaders felt compelled to explain to the public that even had the "no confidence" vote been awarded, most dubiously, to Alberto Gonzales, it was of no political import. Wow, really? Duh. I have to offer many snaps for the audacity of the individuals offering the proposed vote, as I firmly believe the message was, regardless of the outcome, "Mr. Gonzales, you have really, REEAALLY, screwed up and made a joke of the DOJ and we think you need to hold yourself accountable." That much is true. What I am having more difficulty with, as a citizen and - hold back the booing, please - an attorney who values my license to practice, is the fact that not a single individual in Congress is addressing the deep-rooted and dreadfully-obvious corruption that has characterized DOJ operations under the reign of A.G. at the appointment level. I am more than a little miffed about the untoward and blatantly disparate treatment received by unqualified novices in the legal profession armed with a militant Christian way of thinking by way of the Liberty University Law School insofar as said individuals (Monica Goodling et al) are given high-ranking positions with no practical experience to back it up. This lack of experience was a key factor in the firing of an historically-unprecedented number of Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Liberty, by the way, is the law school founded on the premise that secular law has no place above God's law. The students are encouraged to enter the world of law analyzing legal issues from a biblical perspective as well as a "secular" one. Ouch. Man, that sure does not leave a whole lot of room for separation of church and state. Oh yeah and, generically-speaking, Sharia law works the same way - you know, the "radical" Islamic law - no man's law is above God's law. Ouch ouch OUCH! And on the heels of the silly vote came the revelation that a Latina woman with extensive immigration law experience was passed over for a shot at becoming an immigration judge in favor a a significantly less-experienced caucasian man. Sigh. What's new? Yet another blow to justice. Now all of you having a tendency to become shrill at the mere mention of the word "Christian" in a negative light in the context of this essay, stop it. As attorneys, we are trained that the "law" - created by the legislative bodies of the state and federal government, municipalities, and tribal councils and as interpreted by the courts - is "it." I have yet to consult the Pope on the issue of stare decisis. Few, if any, attorneys I know also yank out the Bible and dig about for which verse covers the subject from God's court. We simply do not. And those who do frighten me because that is precisely how the Spanish Inquisition, numerous pogroms, and cultural genocide of any tribal culture came about. Did God tell A.G. to boot the infamous eight? I doubt it. And did his lying (call it what it is) about his own involvement mean he's going to hell? Frankly, I don't care. But then again, he probably doesn't recall anyway. I do not believe for a New York second that Alberto Gonzales is off the hook. So what if the President continues to stand by him? That is partisan loyalty - yahoo. Bravo. But the *American people* have lost confidence. And when he recently gave a talk, tiny little man that he is, people looked askance at him and you could see the discomfort on his face. He does not know who to trust anymore and the people do not trust him. Perhaps there are a few (like ten or twelve) in America who believe Alberto did nothing wrong. The evidence is overwhelming, however, that he did. Add the involvement of my favorite ne'er do well, Karl Rove - "Pleeease, Alberto, amigo, puleease appoint my buddy to a cool U.S. Attorney position. He's like totally not qualified, but he's great at parties and is sort of cute and looks really good in an expensive suit." - and the picture is complete...completely-hideous and unsurprising. Did you know that U.S. Attorneys make big bucks. Averaging between 90K and 125K and up per year they are at the top of the governmental pay food chain. Don't you, as citizens, want people who are at least qualified to earn that money? People who have put in the time and effort to gain experience necessary to properly carry out their job duties? Monica Goodling might prove to be a good attorney in a few years, but for her to hold the key position that she did so soon out of the gate is retarded. And she is one of many. I know a few U.S. Attorneys personally. I think the world of each. I think their jobs are extraordinarily-demanding. I graduated from law school with one of them and he has earned his promotions through the ranks over the years. I wonder if they are afraid of getting the boot. Even the possibility they would think that makes me mad. No, Alberto Gonzales is not off the hook. He may survive this administration, but once back in the "real" world of legal practice, he is stained...damaged goods. And he will be looked at as such. I pity him now, but I wish for once someone would have the cojones to fix - or at least meaningfully address - the more serious problem of endemic governmental corruption that allowed the situation to occur in the first place. Now that would be using the law to benefit the people.

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