By: E&P Staff In a surprisingly hard-hitting editorial published Sunday, The Washington Post said it would be "shameful" if the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. But it said it expects the Senate to do so anyway.
"A number of senators clearly believe, as we do, that Mr. Gonzales bears partial responsibility for decisions that have led to shocking, systematic and ongoing violations of human rights by the United States," the editorial declared. "Most apparently intend to vote for him anyway. At a time when nominees for the Cabinet can be disqualified because of their failure to pay taxes on a nanny's salary, this reluctance to hold Mr. Gonzales accountable is shameful. He does not deserve to be confirmed as attorney general."
Last week, an E&P survey of the largest daily papers found a wide majority criticizing or opposing his nomination.
The Post noted that Gonzales is "not the only official implicated in the torture and abuse of detainees. Other senior officials played a larger role in formulating and implementing the policies, and Mr. Bush is ultimately responsible for them. It is nevertheless indisputable that Mr. Gonzales oversaw and approved a decision to disregard the Geneva Conventions for detainees from Afghanistan; that he endorsed interrogation methods that military and FBI professionals regarded as illegal and improper; and that he supported the indefinite detention of both foreigners and Americans without due process. To confirm such an official as attorney general is to ratify decisions that are at odds with fundamental American values."
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