The architect of arbitrary rule is gone. All freedom-loving Americans should be pleased, no matter what party or persuasion you are from. Starting in Texas, going to the Oval Office, and then to Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez repeatedly and consistently advised George W. Bush toward actions that would concentrate executive power and undermine American democracy.
No doubt many will decry his departure as a political victory or loss. The cause of his departure was lost on the American people in the details of “credibility” in his testimony and his role in firing US Attorneys. I am pleased that these issues finally led to his ouster, but those were not the source of Gonzalez’ corrosive impact on our democracy.
Alberto Gonzalez sat at the helm of the worst abuses of liberty in America since the 1950s era of Joe McCarthy. From advising the president that he has power to make war for no reason, to using recess appointments to thwart Congress, to the use of signing statements to redefine the laws, to politicizing the administration of justice and using justice department offices to attack political opponents, this man undermined the Rule of Law and tried to establish arbitrary rule by a single “unitary executive.” Alberto Gonzalez was at the heart of all of this, and more.
As long as George W. Bush is in power, any such victory for democracy will be temporary, as history shows he will attempt to thwart the will of Congress. At the same time, this resignation shows the power of a Congress that functions in its oversight responsibility. Today, Americans can be pleased. Not because Democrats don’t like Gonzalez, but because the system functioned, brought enough pressure to bear, and removed an energetic opponent to the Rule of Law.
Anthony Signorelli is the author of Call to Liberty: Bridging the Divide Between Liberals and Conservatives (www.calltoliberty.net)
