Gonzales: My ‘Guiding Principle’ Was To ‘Follow The Law’ And ‘Always Do The Right Thing’
Gonzales: My ‘Guiding Principle’ Was To ‘Follow The Law’ And ‘Always Do The Right Thing’
Yesterday, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales spoke at the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, giving his views on “immigration, education and public service.” The event drew approximately 1,000 attendees, as well as a few protestors who greeted Gonzales outside the venue.
He dodged questions about waterboarding by local station KIII-TV, but did give some words of advice for his successor, Michael Mukasey:
To do the right thing. And I have every confidence that Mike Mukasey will do the right thing. Always do the right thing. Follow the law. That was always my lodestar, my guiding principle, and I’m sure that will guide General Mukasey.
Gonzales must have forgotten this lodestar somewhere during his time in the Bush administration. He recently launched a defense fund to pay for his legal expenses, “which are mounting in the face of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales committed perjury or improperly tampered with a congressional witness.” A look at how he has always tried to “follow the law”:
– Approved administration torture program. In 2002, Gonzales chaired a series of meetings that “set the course” for the administration’s torture policies. He “raised no objections and, without consulting military and State Department experts in the laws of torture and war, approved an August 2002 memo that gave CIA interrogators the legal blessings they sought.”
– Inappropriately coached a congressional witness’s testimony. In May, Monica Goodling testified before Congress that, prior to resigning from the Justice Department, she had an “uncomfortable” conversation with Gonzales, in which he “laid out” his version of the attorney firings. Inspector General Glenn Fine is examining whether this attempt to “coach” Goodling was illegal.
– Misled Congress on warrantless spying. In Feb. 2006, Gonzales testified to Congress that “there has not been any serious disagreement” about the National Security Agency’s (NSA) warrantless spying program. Yet testimony by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey proved there were indeed serious disagreements when the administration tried to seek legal approval for the spying program in 2004.
ThinkProgress spoke to the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who said that Gonzales received a “modest honorarium” for his speech, but refused to disclose the full amount.
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What a bullshitter.
November 16th, 2007 at 4:57 pmThinkProgress spoke to the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who said that Gonzales received a “modest honorarium†for his speech, but refused to disclose the full amount.
The reported figure Fredo "earned" was $40,000. Not bad for lying.
November 16th, 2007 at 4:58 pmWhose law? Define "right thing."
Oh, and shut the f_ck up.
November 16th, 2007 at 4:58 pmGONZO and BONDS have so much in common - don'tcha think?
They both think they are above the law.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:00 pmAbu G:
"Always do the right thing. Follow the law. That was always my lodestar, my guiding principle"
Another lie. At least this time, he wasn't under oath. But it's still a blatant lie.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:00 pmthey're all using pages out of the karl rove playbook... portray yourself as the unequaled champion of the very thing you have worked so hard to destroy... both greenwald and robert parry have articulate takedowns of the very same tactic used by bush in his speech to the federalist society... blatant, in-your-face cognitive dissonance, and daring us to call them on it... pathetic...
And, yes, I DO take it personally
November 16th, 2007 at 5:02 pmFredo is pretty much a psychopath.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:04 pmGonzo's "The Law" = Rove's "The Math"
November 16th, 2007 at 5:04 pmGonzo wouldn't be able to get a job as the Magistrate of Crawford, TX, with his history, except that history includes being Dubya's butt-licker and clean-up man for most of his adult life. (And I use the term "adult" with Dubya, very loosely.)
November 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pmThese people are delusional.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pmYeah, and we all the 28% ers to buy it... right.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:12 pmbrings a whole new meaning to the word 'misguided.'
November 16th, 2007 at 5:20 pmNow that he is not part of the Bush cult, somebody needs to debrief him.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:20 pmtypical of a person suffering from a sociopathic mental disorder....
unable to process their own hideous actions, they continue to believe in some faerytale universe that they create.
truly delusional
November 16th, 2007 at 5:23 pmHAHAHAHAHA.,...ONE OF THE SPONSORS WAS.....
CITGO
November 16th, 2007 at 5:25 pmIf there is a God, at least one that gives a rip, Gonzo would have burst into flames long ago. Though one, almost, has to admire his skill. Seriously, how can he keep from hysterical laughter when people actually buy his B.S. and pay him to spread it?
November 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pmWhen I spent all that time trying to call Senators to ask them to vote AGAINST confirming GONZO's nomination, I was "DOING THE RIGHT THING!"
Too bad the Senate didn't follow my lead!
November 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pmGuess he lied yet again.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:27 pmHow did he manage to remember to fly there?
How can he make a speech when he has such a poor memory?
"I don't recall" Gonzo is gonna be "Cell mate" Gonzo pretty soon.
Buck Fush
November 16th, 2007 at 5:27 pmWho would have this sociopath speak at a gathering in the first place? Speaks volumes of that institution that it would consider a piece of s--t like him worthy of a speaking engagement.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:30 pm"Always do the right thing. Follow the law. That was always my lodestar, my guiding principle."
Now Fredo should get the Laugh My Ass Off Award for that statement. While he is loading that crapola to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the former attorneys that he fired are building a case against him.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111607A.shtml
November 16th, 2007 at 5:36 pmdisgusted? email the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
martha.ruiz@fhr.com, jcisneros@cchispanicchamber.org, rvela@cchispanicchamber.org, mochoa@cchispanicchamber.org, randy@peteschicken.com, patricia@pocca.com, ruiz.rock@heb.com, pbirmingham@caller.com, mlongoria@americanbank.com, anniejcastro@sbcglobal.net, jgarcia@citgo.com, mattmartin@clearchannel.com, cmagill@identitytheftsolutionsllc.com, tony.lamantia@lnfdist.com, RMViera@LNVInc.com, razzledazzlejone@aol.com, edl@bankofalice.com, m.elizondo@waterstreetco.com, richard.zamarripa@coastalworksource.com
November 16th, 2007 at 5:37 pmROTFL! I could never, in my wildest dreams, tell lies on such a truly Audacious scale! The capacity of the human mind to decieve itself never ceases to amaze me. I simply hope that the New, Improved DOJ follows is Duty and puts this Astonishing Bufoon behind bars for the rest of his unnatural life!
November 16th, 2007 at 5:41 pmImpeach Cheny and Bush and Save the Constitution.
"My guiding principal was to bend over, grab my ankles and submit to the big Dick"
November 16th, 2007 at 5:44 pmUmmm -- so how's that "Guiding Principle" thing working out for ya there Alberto? I've no doubt Alberto's belief in his own bullshit will be a comforting thought come theday he's dressed in prison stripes and bunking with Georgie and Dick.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:46 pmOff the gag reflex meter.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:47 pmAbsolutely beyond the pale!
November 16th, 2007 at 5:53 pmHe's just another unprincipled, immoral Republican ass. He has nothing now nor did ever have anything for America--only torture and lies. Just another Republican failure like Rove, Bremer, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Libby, DeLay, Cunningham, and Hastert.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:53 pm#22- You're damned right I emailed; thanks for the addresses. Letting Gonzales re-define "following the law" & "doing the right thing" to his own corrupt liking & unchecked in a public forum is vomit-worthy. He needs to be called on this crap every time he makes a speech...
Like Rove, his every public effort post-BushCo will be to sanitize the foul deeds committed in aid of the GWB power grab...
November 16th, 2007 at 5:55 pmLooking at Gonzo's track record, it's difficult to believe that he has any respect for the written law. So what kind of law is he talking about when he says "follow the law"? I have a few guesses:
1) He's incompetent and really doesn't know what the law is. He THINKS that what he's following is the law.
2) He sees the law as sort of "guideline" -- not to be taken literally.
3) He sees Bush and Cheney to be the absolute law of the land, overriding all other statutes, regulations, and laws. Everything he has done, he has done on their direct orders, yet he is getting thrown under the bus.
4) He's not feeble-minded, he knows darn well what the law is, he knows what crooks Bush and Cheney are, and he is lying through his teeth to save his butt.
Any guesses as to which it is?
November 16th, 2007 at 5:55 pm#29
thanks for doing that....now everyone get on the bandwagon too.
November 16th, 2007 at 5:57 pmJust another kind of Bush-fascist: a Latino-fascist.
Broaden yourself beyond bird-watching and try the exciting new hobby, fascist-watching...
In the back of the last two issues of The Bird Watcher's Digest, there were articles that suggested the filling your car's trunk with a variety of natural history guides, including books on variously, insects, mammals, reptiles, wild flowers, shrubs, trees and even rocks and minerals and geology. All to equip you for any natural history questions of identification or understanding which might come up on your driving bird-watching field trips. The articles were trying to broaden the horizons of many traditional bird-watchers, who often watch only birds, and ignore other life forms.
This is all well and good, but I have a modest suggestion on how bird-watchers can really broaden their horizons: by getting into the exciting new world of fascist-watching. Fascists have been springing up in 21st century America like wild mushrooms after a heavy spring rainstorm. Actually, fascist-watching is very easy; you don't need any binoculars, spotting scopes or field guides; you don't even have to go outdoors at all; you simply turn on your cable or satellite-fed television set and you will see many fascists, squawking and screaming, fussing and fuming, sliming and smearing, jiving and lying. These fascists can be often spotted on three major corporate propaganda channels, Fox, MSNBC and CNN, which masquerade as "news" channels. If you care to go further afield (so to speak) you may visit some of the many so-called "religious" channels, which are mostly just spewing christo-fascist intolerance and hate for any and all that don't agree with their every pronouncement... If this doesn't satisfy your urges for fascist-watching, you can always turn to CSPAN most any afternoon and listen to Ms. Dana Perino, the new secretary for the fascist Liar-in-Chief, El Supremo Busho.
As you will soon discover, there are many different kinds of fascists to be seen, beard, identified on television and then added to your "life list." Christo-fascists, fearmongering-fascists, corporatist-fascists, imperial-fascists, neocon-fascists and war-fascists. Seen 'em, identify 'em, collect their images, take some field notes and soon you will be an expert fascist watcher. You may even spot a clucking chickenhawk or two. Then you can give 'em "the bird"...
November 16th, 2007 at 6:02 pmAny guesses as to which it is?
Comment by missmolly — November 16, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
I'll take 3 & 4, for the win Miss Molly.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:04 pmComment by missmolly — November 16, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
I don't they they are mutually exclusive. I think he has a shaky, at best, conception of what "the law" is. He accepts the Bushco definition of "law". He lied, endlessly, to protect his masters and was incompetent at doing so. And he, probably, thinks there is something "noble" about his crimes (though I can't imagine what that is).
Result? He's human sewage. I would rather spend some quality time with Hitler, or Manson, than this particular POS.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:07 pmComment by Oval12345678 aka James K. Sayre — November 16, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Another classic!
November 16th, 2007 at 6:10 pmGonzales: My ‘Guiding Principle’ Was To ‘Follow The Law’ And ‘Always Do The Right Thing’
November 16th, 2007 at 6:10 pmHe can honestly say that after this was revealed:
http://www.alternet.org/rights/51972/Gonzales Tried to Get John Ashcroft to Sign on to Wiretapping Program on His Sickbed.
The key characteristics of a sociopath include:
November 16th, 2007 at 6:23 pm(1) having no conscience,
(2) inability to treat others as human beings, with feelings and rights and
(3) inability to learn from experience, from life. One result of this last is gross immaturity, though it may be hidden unless one knows the person well. A sociopath behaves as if he/she were the only person in the whole world and as if everyone else just existed for their benefit and had no existence in their own right.
(4) Sociopaths treat other people as toys and hanker after the power to control and hurt their 'nearest and dearest'.
(5) Many are monumentally self-important: they may pretend to be millionaires when in reality they are sliding towards financial disaster. (6) Habitual dishonesty.
Incorrigible. Unable to be reformed.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:28 pmHang around with the likes of George Bush all these years, and see what happens - you may have had humble beginnings, Gonzo, but you lost your way a long time ago. Not only are you known by the company you keep, but you have become one of the most corrupt and inept governments in history. You have no guiding light - you are following the path of money and power, wiping your feet on the law and the Constitution.
If there is a hell, may you share a cozy, hot spot with your friend, W.
Are you kidding me? Which laws is Gonzo speaking about?? The existing laws guided by the constitution or the fictitious laws he and the Chimp made up in their fantasies?
November 16th, 2007 at 6:31 pmMarie: You've got the absolutely appropriate adjective to describe Gonzo and his buddies - incorrigible - which means incapable of the necessary insight to see the evil of their ways and not capable of development of spirituality and/or personal integrity to learn otherwise.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:32 pmrastaman: Bush and Gonzo share one common denominator and you hit it right on the head. They're both misanthropes and sociopaths who connect with each other intimately in their similar mental illness.
Kucinich is correct: Bush needs to have a psychiatric evaluation and soon!
November 16th, 2007 at 6:34 pmUnless Gonzo paid his way through law school, at least at one point in his life before he had a frontal lobotomy, he had a handle on US law. Then he met the likes of Cowboy Bush, drank the tainted Kool-aid and became totally brainwashed. He's looking rather pathetic as he opens his alms campaign to defend his sorry ass right now. He should have thought of all that when he was perjuring himself successively. He'll try to point the finger at his boss but it won't cut the mustard. Gonzo will be convicted and will be photographed wearing an orange jumpsuit in the not too distant future.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:36 pmLet's see....is orange Gonzo's special color?
November 16th, 2007 at 6:37 pmKarl Rove is speaking to this same group on November 28. I wonder how much he will be paid. The CC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce appears to be laundering money to disgraced but loyal Bushies.
"Gonzales is the second prominent Bush administration official to resign and turn up soon after as a keynote speaker for a Corpus Christi event. Political adviser Karl Rove, who resigned in August as Bush’s deputy chief of staff, will headline a Nov. 28 fundraiser for Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse."
November 16th, 2007 at 6:40 pmhttp://www.caller.com/news/2007/nov/09/hispanic-chamber-banquet-featuring-alberto-gonzale/
following orders is not the same thing as following the law.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:43 pmUnless the right thing would somehow hurt the Bush admin. Then it was stay loyal until the end.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:50 pmThink he thinks we believe his crap?
November 16th, 2007 at 6:56 pmdisgusted? email the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Comment by rastaman — November 16, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
My Email:
To: The Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Who on the Chamber's Board of Directors made such a ridiculous choice for the Chamber's speaker as Resigned (a la Nixon, pre-impeachment) Attorney General Alberto Gonzales?
How embarrassed will you be when that torture-enabler is a convicted felon, just like Scooter Libby?
When that happens, I plan to run an ad in Spanish and English in the Corpus Christi newspapers indicating that The Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce supported the felonious actions of Gonzales, because you gave him an honorarium to use in his Legal Defense Fund.
You folks are going to look really silly!
Sincerely,
November 16th, 2007 at 7:16 pmCorpus Christi, Texas is my hometown. I don't live there anymore, thank goodness! It's a sleepy little city by a beautiful bay, but it's a long way from the DC Beltway, my how the mighty have fallen.
What, is Gonzo trying to re-connect with his roots?
No body believes him... those thousand people were there just to see the first disgraced Latino US Attorney General.
iHasta Luego, Alberto!
November 16th, 2007 at 7:32 pmLet's see how disingenuous one human being can be. Gonzales took his oath to George Bush, not to the USA and to the Constitution. And he has totally disregarded the law at every turn.
I fervently hope this man ends up in jail some day. Just his going to hell is not enough justice considering all the harm this man has done to this country and to the world.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:38 pmI wonder if Abu G took any questions after his talk?
"Mr. Gonzales, what was it like to be the nation's top law enforcement officer?"
"I don't recall exactly."
"Mr. Gonzales, what advice would you give to young Mexican-Americans as they make their way in our society?"
"I'm afraid I have no recollection of that. It's not in my notes."
November 16th, 2007 at 7:54 pmGonzo should be behind barrs! WAR CRIMINAL!
November 16th, 2007 at 8:20 pmBut Gonzalez failed to explain that the book of laws he actually follows is the Necronomicon Ex Mortis, or Satanic Bible. It's Cheney's favorite book, too.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:04 pmSo exactly how much acid will we need to erase his name from all of the plaques, statues, and memorials? I figure about 400-500 gallons should do the trick. There should be a FU(KING Asterisks next to his name in the history books and everyhwere, with the definition:
November 16th, 2007 at 9:39 pm"This "person," never understood the Constitution, was but a hand puppet for the criminal Precedent in the Whitehouse."
Sorry Gonzo but you never followed the law nor did the right thing either!
November 16th, 2007 at 10:07 pmAs Keith Obermann asked many months ago, where, exactly did this guy get his law degree?
November 16th, 2007 at 10:20 pm"Law" is Spanish for "ambulance," right?
November 17th, 2007 at 1:14 amDoes Gonzales actually believe this statement or is he just trying to fool people? Is he delusional? I've always wondered how the mind works of a person who does this kind of evil.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:38 amUnfortunately for "Fredo" it wasn't "the" law that was his guiding priciple, it was "Bush's" law that was his guiding principle. Whatever Bush or Cheney wanted THAT was what Alberto delivered. This man has no principles, and no ethics. His job was to protect the mafia in the White House and break whatever laws got in their way.
November 17th, 2007 at 6:14 amGonzales' overuse of "do the right thing" comes with the caveat, "Do the right thing, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more." Gonzales wouldn't make the cut for the Twit Olympics! -Kevo
November 17th, 2007 at 8:03 amGonzo believes his own BS. Another sociopathic (former) member of the most corrupt, incompetent and arrogant bunch of thugs to preside over a democracy in the past two hundred plus years.
November 17th, 2007 at 8:54 amTranslation:
November 17th, 2007 at 2:50 pmGarbonzo's 'Guiding Principal': His lord junior bush.
Garbonzo's 'Law': Whatever benefited his lord junior bush.
Garbonzo's 'Do the right thing': Firmly and permanently plant his nose in junior's a$$.
Gonzales: My ‘Guiding Principle’ Was To ‘Follow The Law’ And ‘Always Do The Right Thing’ ROFLOL
Oh God thats Rich... LOL LOL LOL LOL...........Is the former AG doing Stand Up Comedy now??? LOL he is off to one Hell of a start LOL LOL LOL
The fact he really believes his own talking points, and held such high
November 18th, 2007 at 10:58 amoffice, is absolutely frightening. A sure indicator of a Republic in mortal
danger. And it still is.
Very funny "onion" type article about Fredo at
November 18th, 2007 at 12:19 pmSorry, link didn't post
November 18th, 2007 at 12:20 pmhttp://donttipthewaiter.blogspot.com/2007/11/guest-post-1-waiter-escorts-customer.html