The Black Boot Award

His word and his judgment have been questioned countless times by lawmakers from one side of the political spectrum to the other. He is an incessant liar, and a pariah for those who honor the truth. This month’s Black Boot Award winner is Attorney General Alberto Recuerdo Gonzales. In a touch of irony, the translation of recuerdo from Spanish translates to I remember. Yes Alberto, you remember, don’t you?

Do you remember when, in 1996 as general counsel to then-governor George Bush, you asked for an off-the-record conference with the presiding judge in chambers? You remember, it was a case involving a topless dancer being accused of driving under the influence. You asked Travis County Judge David Crain to excuse Bush because it could be seen as a conflict of interest if the defendant asked to be pardoned one day. You remember that by doing this, George W was able to keep his own DUI arrest in 1976 quiet. Oh, but you were just getting started weren’t you, Recuerdo?

Do you remember Executive Order 13233? You drafted it in November 2001, attempting to place limitations on the Freedom of Information Act by restricting access to the records of former presidents. In essence, We the People need not know what you have done behind the Iron Curtain of the White House. You were just warming up then weren’t you Recuerdo?

In a private memo drafted by Gonzales in January 2002, Article III of the Geneva Convention was explored to see if it applied to Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters kidnapped, er, captured and held in detention facilities around the world. Gonzales concluded that Article III was outdated and ill suited for dealing with these swine. Gonzales also authored the Presidential Order, which authorized the use of military tribunals to try these terrorist suspects.

In early 2004, then White House counsel Alberto "I Remember" Gonzales and chief of staff Andrew Card, Jr. paid a visit to Attorney General John Ashcroft’s hospital room where Ashcroft was recovering from gall bladder surgery. The purpose of this visit, get Ashcroft’s approval for the continuation of the warrantless wiretapping program instituted by the Bush regime. Because Ashcroft was in no shape to run the Justice Department, he had ceded control to Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey. When Comey refused to authorize an extension of this illegal activity, Gonzales and Card raced to Ashcroft’s bedside to coerce him into approving the program. Gonzales, in testimony before Congress, described Ashcroft as "lucid" while FBI Director Robert Mueller noted that Ashcroft looked feeble, barely articulate, and clearly stressed.

Gonzales was invited to speak to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 18, 2007, were he promptly shocked the committee’s ranking member, Arlen Specter, with statements regarding the right of habeas corpus. Gonzales stated, "The fact that the Constitution—again, there is no express grant of habeas in the Constitution. There is a prohibition against taking it away." Specter then interrupted Gonzales, interjecting, "Now, wait a minute…The Constitution says you can’t take it away, except in the case of rebellion or invasion." The actual wording in the Constitution states, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it." Historically, this line has been interpreted to mean that the right of habeas corpus in inherently established.

Since being nominated for the Attorney General position in November 2004, Gonzales’ leadership of the Justice Department has followed George Orwell’s script to a tee. Americans have seen an unprecedented invasion for their privacy. The Justice Department has been accused of improperly, and perhaps illegally, using the Patriot Act to uncover personal information about U.S. citizens. Domestic spying, warrantless wiretaps, limiting the Freedom of Information Act, military tribunals, and complete disregard to the Geneva Convention. Alberto "I Remember" Gonzales is Big Brother incarnate, and thus he is richly deserving of a swift kick from our Black Boot.

View Previous Black Boot Award Winners

 

 The Black Boot Award is an education tool. We use it both to expose and inform. Its award should not be
interpreted as encouragement for readers to retaliate, threaten, or act uncivilly in any manner toward
 the recipient. Our goal is to simply educate and tell the truth.