Posted on 03/29/2005 3:30:56 PM PST by ninenot
The White House was "troubled," according to one source, about the reported actions -- or inactions -- of the Justice Department last week as Republicans in Congress made a last ditch attempt to rescue Terri Schiavo.
"You actually had Arlen Specter and his Judiciary Committee out there trying to save this woman's life, and then you have Alberto Gonzales and his crew over at Justice basically putting up roadblocks," says a White House staffer. "This was not a good way for Gonzales to start his tenure there."
Gonzales has been on the job at Justice for a little over two months now, and the congressional attempts to restore the feeding tube to Schiavo was the new AG's first high-profile foray into the politics that swirl around the Justice Department.
By most accounts, Gonzales and his team fared poorly, at least from Republican viewpoints. "Instead of trying to work with us, all we got were no's and roadblocks, with little guidance on what we could do and could not do," says a House leadership staffer who spoke often with the Justice Department's Legislative Affairs office. "They weren't being helpful, and they sure weren't doing the White House any favors."
Ultimately, both the House and the Senate passed -- and President Bush signed -- legislation designed to give Schiavo's parents their best shot at having a federal court overrule the rulings of Florida state courts. Those federal filings ultimately failed.
Before the legislation, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- with Specter's approval -- and House Republicans attempted to subpoena Terri Schiavo, a political maneuver that won plaudits from a number of conservative groups around the country, but which received a thumbs-down the Department of Justice. "The Justice Department pushed us hard to withdraw the subpoena idea," says the House staffer. "We told them that the White House knew about this, and that they tacitly approved. It didn't seem to matter to DOJ. Gonzales and his folks just made things harder for us."
"If the White House was hoping that Gonzales might be able to burnish his image for conservatives leading up to a Supreme Court nomination, the Schiavo case tarnished it pretty badly," says a staffer for a Senator who was pushing hard for the subpoena solution. "I'll say this, every conservative up here was wishing [former Attorney General John] Ashcroft was still there."
To be fair to Gonzalez, Ashcroft's presence at Justice probably would not have made much difference. Ashcroft was excoriated by conservatives on his leaving office for what they said were his failures to press for tough stands against pornography, human trafficking and abortion rights, while not pressing hard enough for faith-based programs.
Another Senate staffer says her impression of the Justice Department's role in the Schiavo case is more benign. "They were giving us straight legal analysis from the federal perspective, nothing more, which is probably what has a lot of people up in arms, and it was all behind the scenes. These folks wanted Gonzales out front, making it appear this was an issue he cared about. That didn't happen," says the staffer. "But I don't think anyone can dispute that the legal advice they gave us wasn't sound. They just didn't help us get to where we wanted to be."
And for failing to do that, many Republicans in the House and the Senate say that Gonzales has failed the first litmus test on the conservative scorecard.
Gonzales putting up roadblocks to save Terri!
Surprise, surprise, surprise!!! (not)
Most of us recall that Gonzales was no hero on the life issues during his term as a Texas judge.
Surprise! He's STILL not a hero on the life issues.
Very interesting. An attorney general whose first priority is the law. Who'd'a thunk it?
To think that he was picked for anything other than his race is laughable.
and here I thought it was his La Raza connections. silly me.
Which law?
It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which "respect for the law" could cost you YOUR life--e.g., I certainly hope that your wife will not break any speed laws taking you to the ER with your first heart attack...
Right?
Ping!
Is that why he upheld that children do not need parental permission when obtaining abortions? Is that part of the law too? Is pulling a mentally disabled woman's feeding tube part of the law? And was it HIS job to make it that much harder for the Shiavos?
My last wife wouldn't even bother finding the keys to the car. That's why I divorced her.. ;^)
It might be better if you were an illegal immigrant...because after all, you're "just here to work"...right?
Damn those stupid "vigilante" Minutemen...damn them to hell!!
This orgy of blaming Republicans for being unable to save Terri is the ultimate in political insanity.
Unfortunately, it's the routine post at FR these days.
Pathetic.
*SIGH* Who ever woulda thunk we'd miss Janet Reno? *SNORT*
Depends? Are you wishy-washy lacking moral backbone? If so, you should definitely send in your resume.
LOL
I agree with you on Gonzales, he was never a stellar pro-life candidate from the get-go.
I'm sure there are memos backing up their claims.
Let me see if I understand this correctly:
GWBush, (R) is President and CinC. He appointed his Cabinet members, including Gonzales.
The Senate Majority is led by Frist, (R)-Tn.
The House Majority is led by Hastert, (R)-Il.
The Governor of Florida is Jeb Bush, (R.)
Either the House (R), or the Senate (R), could enforce its subpoena. The President, (R), could pull a Clinton and send in US Marshalls or the whole damn USMarine Corps.
The Governor of Florida could send in State Troopers or an activated USARNG unit.
Somehow, it looks to me as though (Rs) hold ALL the friggin' cards.
But obviously, you see it differently.
There are still some who "respect the law" SO much that they forget what that really means...
Or they haven't the capacity to think it through.
In either case, they are voters (shudder..)
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