Reply #47: My family's safety will not be impacted whatsoever by a filibuster of [View All]

[ohioan]

Gonzales.

Gonzales is not the issue - he's merely the tail of the snake. Using up all of our resources fighting him is foolhearty, since Bush would simply appoint someone as bad or worse in his place. In fact, I think that Bush would love for us to shoot our wad going after Gonzales - probably the most moderate nominee he'd put in this position, a person whom the right wing distrusts. Even if we were successful in blocking him - which we would likely not be - we'd just get someone worse in his place. And yes, regardless what you think of him, there ARE much worse nominees in the pipeline.

The AG position is a highly public temporary position subject to Congressional oversight and close scrutiny. Gonzales is far less dangerous as AG than in his current position, where he is protected by executive privilege and operates outside of the light of day.

While it might seem like a good idea to you, it's impossible for the Senate Democrats to filibuster every Bush appointee who comes up to the Hill, so we must pick our battles. The real battle will be the Supreme Court and key Circuit Court nominations.

We can't go chasing down every rabbit hole just because it brings some temporary solace. We have to think strategically and long-term. Filibustering Gonzales would get us nowhere and would do absolutely nothing to keep your or my family safer.