Alberto Gonzalez and the new American Spoils System

The nomination of Alberto Gonzalez for Attorney General tells us much about the racial spoils system and the character of President George W. Bush.

In the old Republic federal jobs were filled by patronage, commonly known as the spoils system. Preference was shown to those owed favors or those with connections to elected officials. This system functioned openly, if not inefficiently, and with few complaints. British subjects may recall Prime Minister Palmerston effectively ran his government without a secretary. The spoils system ended when President Chester Arthur signed, in the year 1883, the Pendleton Act requiring merit as criteria for acquiring federal jobs.

Is today’s racial spoils system superior to yesterday’s patronage system?

Mr. Alberto “Fredo” Gonzalez is not the first Latino nominee President Bush named; readers may recall the Miguel Estrada saga. The spokes-mouths for the President described Mr. Estrada as an American exemplar, “a rags to riches story”, an incarnation of “the American dream” – and don’t forget his outstanding intelligence. In a country of 400 million souls I am sure thousands of Americans have similar resumes but how many have a brown complexion?

It might be true that President Bush selected Mr. Gonzalez because of his “sharp intellect and sound judgment” (text in English or Spanish, courtesy El Presidente). Might it also be true the US is fighting in Iraq to establish Democracy? A good Christian like the President Bush ought to know what ius ad bellum means.

Notwithstanding this oversight can anyone accuse Mr. Bush of hiding his Christian faith under a bushel? Well, at least not during the re-election campaign. Now the election is over, and Christians are politically wedded to Mr. Bush, his fidelity is in doubt - yet the bride remains loyal, despite the future Attorney General’s ruling in favor of teenage girl’s abortion rights. This is not the only controversial position of Mr. Gonzalez.

The presumptive AG also has a preference for brown students rather than whites. While serving as White House council he “was the person who rewrote and gutted DOJ Solicitor General Theodore Olson’s briefs opposing racial preferences in the Supreme Court University of Michigan cases Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz and Hamacher v. Bollinger”.

Perhaps nobody was listening back in 2000?

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We’re a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture. Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende. For years our nation has debated this change - some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

Candidate George W. Bush
Miami on Aug. 25, 2000

Posted by leslie on Thursday, November 11, 2004 at 07:01 PM in U.S. Politics
Comments (1) | Tell a friend

Comments:

Posted by Geoff M. Beck on November 16, 2004, 10:43 AM | #

“Mr. Bush might have picked someone with attributes that Mr. Gonzales, his longtime aide, plainly lacks — starting with substantial management and criminal law enforcement experience. Someone, in fact, like Larry Thompson, the recently departed deputy attorney general. “

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20041115-091907-6461r.htm

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