As you may have heard, today the Senate is scheduled to have a preliminary vote on the no-confidence resolution. As usual, the New York Times editorial board hits the nail squarely on the head when it comes to Gonzales.
Mr. Gonzales is the Michael Brown of the Justice Department, smilingly presiding over incompetence, chaos and malfeasance, while President Bush insists that he is doing a heck of a job.
The Attorney General has presided over a radical politicization of a Cabinet Department that has the power to determine guilt or innocence, lock people up, destroy lives, and even affect the outcome of elections. As the NYT says, it must enforce the law impartially - but Alberto Gonzales instead has done just the opposite. The result has been the destruction of the DoJ's reputation and ability to hold the trust of the American people.
If that isn't a fire-able offense, then what is?
It's time for all those - Republicans and Democrats alike - who have called for Gonzales to resign or be dismissed to put their vote where their mouth is and prove their conviction.
UPDATE: (4:35 pm) Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA) says he'll vote no-confidence.
UPDATE: (7:30 pm) The vote failed to reach the 60 ayes it needed to move forward. Of 92 votes, it was 53 nays to 38 ayes, with one "present" vote (Sen. Ted Stevens, R-AK). Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) voted nay, and the following Republicans voted aye: Senators Norm Coleman (MN), Susan Collins (ME), Chuck Hagel (NE), Gordon Smith (OR), Arlen Specter (PA), Olympia Snowe (ME), John E. Sununu (NH). Coleman, Collins, Hagel, Smith, and Sununu are all up for reelection in 2008.
