Gingrich Joins Anti-Gonzales Fray

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (picture) has come out calling for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, joining a growing chorus of individuals who are on a witch hunt against the nation's chief law enforcement officer. I find it hard to believe that he would get on this train for several reasons:

* He was a victim of a political and character assassination himself. He was forced out of office due to largely trumped up ethical charges when he was the Speaker. He knows what Gonzales is going through and I'm surprised he would concur with those who would support the AG's demise.

* Gingrich knows the Constitution and the law, and I believe he knows Gonzales hasn't violated either.

* He also has to know that the President becomes politically impotent if this resignation is forced to happen.

It is one thing for Gingrich to suggest this based on the fact that the Attorney General has become a distraction -- an argument that can certainly be made, although his resignation will only create more problems in this area in my opinion. It is completely inappropriate, and not at all Presidential, for him to get on this bandwagon for political expediency, which seems to be the basis of his argument. Being a leader means standing up for what is right. The Attorney General's actions -- although unpopular -- were completely legal. Gingrich should join the many who are calling on Congress to deal with real issues and get away from the political grand standing that is hurting this country.

Much Ado About Nothing... Yet We Have Real Concerns

While liberals continue to want to persecute Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (see photo) for non-existent crimes in his recent firings of US Attorneys, the world faces a serious problem with Iran. The fanatic regime has told the world it will not comply with international agencies when it comes to its nuclear programs and is holding British sailors hostage (our closest ally) without cause.

The Attorney General has done nothing wrong, but demonstrated poor manners in the way he fired several US Attorneys. Such attorneys have worked at the pleasure of Presidents since the posts were created. They are political jobs, so why are we surprised that they are being treated that way? Should the AG have said performance was the cause? Definitely not. Should he have done several firings so close together? Clearly not in good taste, unless he fired almost all of them at once like others have done in the past. But are any of these acts criminal, deserving hearings? No way.

The President has stated that we need to move on and we can't afford the time consumption or waste in resources pursuing this ridiculous non-case. That is why he is rightly resisting the effort of many in Congress to make this seem criminal. If the President doesn't draw a line here, he will spend the next two years of his Administration doing nothing but fighting battles of politics and not of statesmanship. We elected him and the Congress to govern. The President must be allowed to do that and the Congress needs to muster up the courage to do the same thing or the new Democratic majority there now will find themselves a minority again. They have been the minority since the early 1990s, so that may make them comfortable. The Democrats have got to know that being in the minority in politics is a relatively easy position. Your primary objective is to criticize. Once your side wins, you are expected to do so much more.

It is time for the Democrats to stop holding this government hostage through hearings and for them to rise up and do that for which they were elected, which is to govern.