Sen. Salazar baffles on Gonzales

[ashling]

By Diane Carman
Denver Post Columnist


E-mails have been pouring into Ken Salazar's old digs at the Colorado Attorney General's Office. Many are from supporters sending congratulations and good wishes.

But others express dismay.

The writers are wondering what on earth the Democratic senator is doing buddying up to the likes of Alberto Gonzales. Is this the first sign of a Ben Nighthorse Campbell-style defection to the Republican ranks after using the Democratic Party to get elected?

After all, when Salazar introduced President Bush's nominee for U.S. attorney general - a guy opposed by retired generals, veterans groups, civil rights organizations, even the Mexican American Political Association - it was one of his very first official acts as a senator.

***

Sure, Gonzales would be the first Latino to head Justice. But this guy brings plenty of smelly baggage to the job.

Among other things, he was a partner in the Texas law firm that represented Enron and Halliburton, both under federal investigation. He said he "spent hours grilling" Bernard Kerik and recommended him for secretary of homeland security. And Kerik is the guy who had to withdraw from consideration after his nanny problems, his girlfriend problems and his relationship with a guy indicted for mob activities were revealed.

Even more disturbing, Gonzales advised the president that the Geneva Convention outlawing the torture of prisoners of war was "quaint" and "obsolete," and signed off on a memo that defined torture as "injury such as death, organ failure or serious impairment of bodily functions," a definition narrow enough to authorize most of the abuses at Abu Ghraib or even those inflicted by the Viet Cong at the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

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more:
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~115~2641697,00.html

[CO Liberal]

1. Apparantly, They've Known Each Other For Several Years

Gonzalez went to law school with one of Salazar's top people in the Colorado AG office. I think Salazar did the introduction out of courtesy for an old friend, though he will probably vote against him.

[realFedUp]

2. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I don't think Ann Coulter is a loon

Supporting a person of color just because you
are a person of color doesn't make that candidate
or nominee the best choice for the highest job
in law enforcement.

Let's look deeper than at just the skin color...
isn't that less racist?

[Rican1]

3. Agreed - the confirmation hearing look more like an episode of

the dating game. let's stop the love fest and not rubber stamp his nomination. I'm sure Gonzalez will continue the Department of Justice's trend of pushing civil rights issues to the back burner

[Rican1]

4. Agreed - the confirmation hearing look more like an episode of

the dating game. let's stop the love fest and not rubber stamp his nomination. I'm sure Gonzalez will continue the Department of Justice's trend of pushing civil rights issues to the back burner -
Sorry for the dupe

[bush_is_wacko]

6. yes it is less racist but it looks a little to me as if the Dems are

setting the stage for rebellion on quite a few fronts. I'm giving Salazar a little leeway on some of these things. Let's wait and see.

[bush_is_wacko]

5. Ever think maybe it's more fodder for investigation into corruption

In the state of Colorado, citizen initiatives get bills and amendments passed. It has been an endless source of frustration for our greedy Rethuglican Senators and Governor. Democrats like this system. But it is one of the reason why Ben Nighthorse Campbell defected. He didn't like it at all. I am keeping a close eye on Salazar and so are a lot of others. He has been provided a lot of information on the * administration and their tactics by ordinary citizens. He has an excellent record of prosecution and negotiation here in Colorado. Let's see how he handles his new position before we start hammering away at him.

I am a little baffled myself, but he appears to be keeping a fairly low profile, which suggests to me he may be looking to investigate a few things. I saw him sitting behind one of the speakers on Thursday looking very intrigued.