Senate confirms Gonzales as attorney general
USA Today
Posted 2/3/2005 4:10 PM Updated 2/3/2005 6:02 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation
Thursday as attorney general despite Democratic accusations
that he helped formulate White House policies that led to
overseas prisoner abuse and was too beholden to President Bush
to be the nation's top law enforcement official.
The Senate voted 60-36 to put the first Hispanic ever into the
job, with all of the ``no'' votes coming from Democrats and
Democratic-leaning Independent Jim Jeffords of Vermont. Last
week, 12 Democrats and Jeffords voted against Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice's confirmation.
Gonzales will replace John Ashcroft, who won more Democratic
support four years ago despite his more contentious stances on
several issues. Eight Democrats voted for Ashcroft, while six
voted for Gonzales: Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Ken
Salazar of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Bill Nelson
of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Republicans and some Democrats praised Gonzales' life story:
the grandson of Mexican immigrants who worked his way up to
being President Bush's top lawyer in the White House.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-02-03-gonzales_x.htm