Gonzales: The Texan Who Can't Shoot Straight
Under immense domestic and international political pressure, Bush has since rolled back or dumped many of those initiatives and among other things placed the NSA program under the purview of the courts.
But it could be decades before the full scope and impact of all of those "war on terror" initiatives are revealed, as well as Gonzales's detailed role. "I think his legacy will be this history of being willing to play fast and loose with civil liberties and well-established political rights," says Tobias, the University of Richmond constitutional scholar. "A lot of people have died to make sure we have these liberties. And it worries me that in five years, this administration has attempted at every turn to wipe it away."
But Gonzales's supporters have the exactly opposite view. "In the long term, I think this president and this AG will be judged extraordinarily favorably," says Francisco. "Since September 11, there have been no more attacks on the country. Those of us sitting here today have the luxury of believing it's still September 10. The president and the attorney general don't have that luxury."
Many who know Gonzales, even those who have disagreed with the administration's policies, say the attorney general is by no means an ideologue—indeed, far from it. They describe Gonzales as "decent," "affable," "humble," "modest," "gracious," "conscientious," and a "gentle soul." But they say Gonzales's weakness always has been to "somehow miss the bigger picture" that experienced Washington lawyers would perhaps get.
"In a way," says one official, "it's tragic."
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