Looks like I picked a good day to start back up, eh? Gonzo is out. As John Edwards said, "better late than never."
I'm getting in on the commentary late here, so let me just offer one observation. I should admit upfront that what I'm about to say isn't polite, but well... this is my blog, which means its my truth. So here goes...
I spent nearly 4 hours today in the car heading to and from a tutoring gig. For most of the way there and back, I listened to NPR's coverage of today's event. (It was only most of the way because the state of Rhode Island doesn't seem to have a dedicated NPR News station, so I have to listen to either Boston or New Haven stations, with a weird gap in the middle of the state where neither can be heard. Why RI doesn't have its own station is beyond me) And given that the details could be summed up in a sentence or two, virtually everything I heard was political commentary. Neither that nor the fact the commentary was almost uniformly anti-Gonzales surprised me. What surprised me was how everyone - and I do me literally everyone - seemed to feel compelled to offer the following defense of the man:
"He has had a long, distinguished career in public service, a noble calling if ever there was one. And given his humble origins, whatever you think of his politics, you have to admit that his story really has been one of remarkable success."
At first I thought nothing of it. But the more I heard it, the more it bothered me. And then it hit me.
His calling wasn't to public service, it was to politics. When you come to DC as White House Council, the two are rolled up into one. They are inseparable. So no, I can't set aside his politics when I evaluate his career, because politics are his career.
But what about his career in Texas as Secretary of State and a Supreme Court justice, you ask? Those weren't wholly political, right? Maybe, maybe not. To be honest, I don't know, nor do I care. Because those achievements aren't why we are talking about him today, nor are they foremost in anyone's minds when they claim we must honor his "success." Just as I don't judge a Major League ballplayer by what they did in the minor leagues, I'm not going to judge what a national politician did a decade ago when he served his home state. Its part of the story, but its not even nearly close to the most important part.
Moreover - and here's where I'm about to get impolite - his careers in DC and Texas have one very significant fact in common. They were wholly dependent on the success of someone else: George W. Bush. Gonzales could never, ever have done what he did without Bush. The story of Gonzales' success is the story of George Bush's success, not his alone. And although I fully admit that none of us ever truly does anything on our own in this world, I think with a little thought you will see how this situation may be a bit different than most. After all, were it not for W's status as the son of a former president...
But that's not even what bothered me most. Not even nearly. What bothered me is this:
Public service is only a noble calling if you not only serve the public but serve them well. Holding a high position isn't in and of itself noble, nor is it in and of itself good. Nobility isn't determined by the title after your name; it is determined by the actions you take while holding the title. Deeds, not words, are what make public service noble. And sure, Gonzales' may have acted with what he believes are the best of intentions, but so what? We don't send people to DC to intend well, we send them there to act well.
So no, thank you, I will not overlook his actions as a public servant as I "honor" service. And here's why:
The man wrote the legal opinions that labeled the Geneva Conventions "quaint."
It was his guidance that led to Abu Gharib.
It was his guidance that led to Guantanamo Bay.
It was his guidance that led to the reopening of Soviet-era detention facilities throughout Eastern Europe.
It was his guidance that led to warrantless wiretapping of US citizens on US soil.
It was his guidance that created the mess at the Dept. of Justice.
Remind me again precisely what I'm supposed to honor this man for?
A tree is known by its fruits, not its roots. Remember that.
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