This excellent piece by Phillip Carter, author of the Intel Dump weblog, is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in the man President Bush has nominated to be John Ashcroft’s replacement.
He writes not only on Gonzales’ role in the crafting of administration policy in the war on terror, but on his work advising then Governor Bush whether or not to grant clemency to death-row prisoners. Carter raises a number of excellent questions on Gonzales’ suitability for the position, and what his appointment signals about the qualities President Bush values.
While Gonzales is not the lightning rod Ashcroft was when it comes to attracting criticism, I suspect his effect on civil liberties in the U.S. (if he’s confirmed) could be similarly damaging.