Al Franken covers Senator Durbin's speech on Alberto Gonzales

[Eric J in MN]

From http://MOVELEFT.COM



Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)

To listen to the audio discussed in this article, click below.

Dick Durbin Feb. 2, 2005 Senate speech against Alberto Gonzales nomination, discussed by Al Franken on Feb. 2, 2005 radio broadcast of The Al Franken Show.

There is nothing funny about this audio. It's sad, actually.

Al Franken plays audio clips of US Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois) speaking on Wednesday in the Senate about Alberto Gonzales, George W. Bush's nominee for Attorney General.

While MOVELEFT.COM has previously discussed Alberto Gonzales' role promoting torture as White House counsel, Senator Durbin in this section focuses on Alberto Gonzales' role promoting Texas executions with lax review, as general counsel to then Governor Bush.

Criticism in the speech by Senator Durbin includes that Alberto Gonzales didn't present all the important facts to Governor Bush for clemency reviews on people scheduled to be executed. Durbin discussed two specific cases:

Omissions by Alberto Gonzales include that an attorney for the defense in one case literally slept during jury selection; that in another case, a Mexican national on death row didn't speak or read English, and signed a murder confession believing it was an immigration form.

Each of the men in the cases above is now dead, having been executed by the state of Texas.

There were 59 death penalty cases which Alberto Gonzales presented to then Governor Bush, devoting a maximum of 30 minutes to each presentation. All 59 people involved were executed. No clemencies, no delays for further investigation.

Al Franken said that some people on death row are innocent.


My Opinion

Alberto Gonzales' handling of these cases isn't justice; he shouldn't become the top justice official in the United States.

Ask both your Senators to vote against Alberto Gonzales. You can find contact information for your Senators at vote-smart.org. The Senate vote is soon, and so please contact their offices promptly.

[Eric J in MN]

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