They managed to find an attorney general worse than Ashcroft

ACLU Calls for Full and Thorough Gonzales Confirmation Hearings; Says Senators Should Press on 9/11-Related Issues and Reproductive Rights

November 10, 2004

Statement of Anthony Romero, ACLU Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union stands by its 80-year record of uncompromising non-partisanship. Accordingly, the ACLU takes no official position on the appointment of Mr. Alberto Gonzales to replace Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The board, staff and more than 400,000 members of the ACLU do call, however, for a full and thorough Senate confirmation process that scrutinizes Mr. Gonzales' positions on key civil liberties and human rights issues. Particular attention should be devoted to exploring Mr. Gonzales' proposed policies on the constitutionality of the Patriot Act, the Guantanamo Bay detentions, the designation of United States citizens as enemy combatants and reproductive rights.

Mr. Gonzales should be queried, moreover, on his January 25, 2002 memo, authored in his capacity as White House counsel, which described certain legal protections guaranteed in the Geneva Conventions to persons captured during military hostilities as "obsolete" and "quaint." His confirmation hearings should also examine in detail Mr. Gonzales’ approval of the now-disavowed Justice Department memoranda that condoned the torture and incommunicado and indefinite detention of detainees captured during the Afghanistan conflict.

It is the Senate’s duty to make certain that the next Attorney General is committed to enforcing the civil rights laws that are critical to protecting the American value of fairness. It is imperative that the Senate demands that the next leader of the Department of Justice restore the strength and integrity of the Civil Rights Division.

John Ashcroft’s tenure has made clear that the post of Attorney General holds the key to our most fundamental freedoms. It is not enough for the White House to simply put a fresh face on the same old policies of violating civil liberties and human rights. Members of the Senate must ensure that any Attorney General will understand, respect, and uphold the basic rights of our democracy.

ACLU on Gonzales

ACLU Calls On President to Appoint Fair-Minded Replacement for Ashcroft; New Attorney General Must Ensure America Remains Safe and Free

November 9, 2004

Statement of Anthony D. Romero,
ACLU Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON -- The Attorney General is the nation’s official guardian of civil liberties but during his tenure, Attorney General John Ashcroft has been one of the most divisive forces in the entire Bush Administration. Mr. Ashcroft's legacy has been an open hostility to protecting civil liberties and an outright disdain for those who dare to question his policies. We need to do more than just replace John Ashcroft; we need a wholesale reexamination of Justice Department policies that trample on civil liberties and human rights.

In his pursuit of a radical agenda, Mr. Ashcroft has insisted that the U.S. government could unilaterally detain American citizens without charge and access to counsel. He has also trampled on the rights of immigrants and, in the face of a scathing report from his own inspector general, Mr. Ashcroft merely uttered triumphal statements that showed no remorse. Before Congress, Ashcroft resisted efforts to scrutinize the manner in which Patriot Act powers were being used or possibly abused. And he showed outright hostility to the democratic process when he told the Senate Judiciary Committee that critics of the Bush Administration would merely "aid the terrorists."

President Bush has said he hopes to unify the nation. Nothing could serve that purpose more than appointing a new Attorney General who is committed to protecting the very freedoms that make our country unique as we continue to work to make ourselves safer. We need an Attorney General who recognizes that security and liberty are not mutually exclusive and who recognizes that we can -- and must -- be both safe and free.

Ashcroft has been a polarizing force within the Republican Party. In fact, former House Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey once called Ashcroft "out of control." With key parts of the Patriot Act set to expire next year, the next Attorney General must be willing to listen to the millions of Americans who live in communities that have passed resolutions asking that the Patriot Act be brought back in line with the Constitution. Proper checks and balances against government abuse must be restored. The American people deserve no less.

The Administration has long known that John Ashcroft’s unpopularity would make it harder to pursue its agenda -- but it is not enough to simply change the public face of the Department of Justice. Putting a fresh face on the Administration’s old policy of violating civil liberties and human rights in the name of national security is not sufficient. The President must appoint an Attorney General who understands and respects the basic rights of our democracy.

We need a new attorney general

Join the ACLU Action Alert