Alberto Gonzales: Adónde el Amor Fue?:
Man, the last time Alberto Gonzales was in the shiny lights so brightly, it was his confirmation hearings way back in 2005. And, sweet Jesus, senators couldn't get enough of touting his Hispanic street cred as a way of saying, "All that torture shit and incomplete and evasive answers? C'mon. Look at him. He's Hispanic. Of course he's sincere and competent." It was a complete non-sequitur then, yet it was used to try to thump Democrats who didn't wanna vote for a naked waterboard-lovin' son of a bitch.

Check it out:
John Cornyn was full of the Gonzales love on January 6, 2005, when he said, ironically, now, in our current context: "Judge Gonzales is truly an inspiration to everyone who still believes in the American dream. And so his nomination as the nation's 80th attorney general -- our first Hispanic attorney general -- should by all accounts have a perfectly happy ending. But that's not necessarily how Washington works."

Here's Arlen Specter: "It is not irrelevant to note that Judge Gonzales would be the first Hispanic attorney general. It has been a long time in coming." It was a veiled threat, daring Democrats to vote against this non-white man.

Orrin Hatch's threat was a great deal more explicit: "I'm chairman of the Republican Senatorial Hispanic Task Force. I know that every Hispanic in America is watching how this man is being treated. The fact that you might differ with somebody is not justification to deprive this person the opportunity to serve, and especially somebody of this quality!" That exclamation point, by the way, is part of the congressional record of January 26, 2005.

Mel Martinez took to the floor of the Senate on February 2, 2005 to say, in Spanish, "Judge Gonzales is one of us. He represents all of our hopes and dreams -- for our children. Let us acknowledge the importance of this moment for – especially our youth. We cannot allow petty politicking to deny us this moment that fills us all with such pride. Let us all support Alberto Gonzales." In neither English nor Spanish has Martinez spoken passionately, or, indeed, at all about Gonzales lately.

Where has all that Republican love gone? Why is no one saying that they're all ganging up on this poor American dream of an Hispanic? Republicans knew from his confused and occasionally painfully incoherent confirmation hearings that he was a liar and Bush's best ball-licker. Christ, then he said he didn't recall shit dozens of times, just like in his latest congressional contempt-fest. They still voted him in (along with some Democrats). But, oh, mighty shift of winds. Now that John McCain has said Gonzales must go, the times, they are a-changin'.

Not that it's gonna happen. Nope. Gonzales ain't goin' anywhere. Why? Two reasons. First, who the hell is Bush gonna appoint? Because, second, they'd have to go through confirmation hearings in these changed times. Can you imagine all the evil and lies that Gonzales knows? What's he gonna do? Pass them on to someone not inside the circle of depravity known as the Bush administration? And, with all the attention on the office, are the Democrats gonna allow another Bush toady into the office?

Gonzo ain't gone. If anything, like the most effective evil manipulators, his chastening has just made him stronger.