Cisneros for Gonzales

Henry Cisneros is a prominent Democrat, mayor of San Antonio 1981-1989 and secretary of HUD under President Clinton. He contributed an exceptionally well written piece in the Opinion Journal on the Gonzales nomination.

In the 36 years that I have voted, I have supported and voted for only one Republican. That was when Alberto Gonzales ran for election to the Texas Supreme Court. I messaged friends about this uncommonly capable and serious man, I urged them to support his campaign financially, and voted for him. He is now President ush's nominee to be Attorney General of the United States and I urge his confirmation.
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Of all the positions in the cabinet, it has been traditionally understood both by the Senate and by the American public that the president needs a trusted adviser in the attorney general's job. That was understood when President Kennedy named his brother Robert to the post. The Senate has in practice respected the fact that if the president wants a key individual to anchor his inner circle of cabinet advisers, he should be allowed to have that person. The public also accepts the fact that if the nominees have proven capabilities and have no egregious disqualifying attributes, the president should get to name his team.

In this case, Judge Gonzales is better qualified than many recent attorneys general. He was general counsel to Gov. Bush in Texas, secretary of state of Texas, a member of the Texas Supreme Court, and for the last four years counsel to the president in the White House. Many of the challenges and decisions he will confront as U.S. attorney general he has seen in some form in these important legal positions.

The last four years have posed harrowingly difficult dilemmas, especially those related to the 9/11 terrorist attack on our nation and the military and security actions that resulted from it... The American people decided in November, for better or for worse, to see this conflict through. It would be unseemly at this juncture to use the forum of a Senate confirmation process to try to find a scapegoat for a war that is at a very difficult stage. In any event, Alberto Gonzales has done nothing to alter the basic facts that he is a seasoned legal professional, is needed by the president, and is person of sterling character.

As an American of Latino heritage, I also want to convey the immense sense of pride
that Latinos across the nation feel because of Judge Gonzales's nomination. I had the high honor of serving in a president's cabinet, as have five other American Hispanics, but we all served in what might be called "outer circle" departments. The historic character of this nomination is that Judge Gonzales has been nominated to one of the big four--State, Defense, Treasury and Justice. This is a major breakthrough for Latinos, especially since it is so important to have a person who understands the framework of legal rights for all Americans as attorney general.

Judge Gonzales has demonstrated a nuanced understanding of the struggles people face as they try to build a life for their families in our country. Perhaps that appreciation comes from remembrances of his own family's struggles. In the Commencement Address at his alma mater, Rice University, earlier this year, he recalled: "During my years in high school, I never once asked my friends over to our home. You see, even though my father poured his heart into that house, I was embarrassed that 10 of us lived in a cramped space with no hot running water or telephone." On another occasion, he said: "My father did not have many opportunities because he had only two years of formal schooling, and so my memories are of a man who had to work six days a week to support his family. . . . He worked harder than any person I have ever known."

It will be good for America to have an attorney general who has memories like those, because he can rely on those memories to understand the realities many Americans still confront in their lives. I believe he will apply those life experiences to the work ahead. His confirmation by the Senate can be part of America's steady march toward liberty and justice for all.