Gonzalez: Voting One's Conscience (Not)

The notion of voting one's conscience has become a hoary concept for the members of The Greatest Deliberative Body in the World, so a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez would have been a signal opportunity to resurrect the concept -- at least for Republican senators who claim to have more going on between their ears than slush fund calculators.

It was a given that most Democrats would vote for the non-binding resolution, but Republicans were confronted with a more difficult choice, especially after President Bush harrumphed that "They can try to have their vote of no confidence, but it's not going to determine -- make the determination, who serves in my government.''

Would Republicans send a message that it is time to restore credibility to the Justice Department?

Or would they support their Great Leader, who continues to insist that there has been no wrongdoing?

We'll never know for sure because the Democrats could get only seven Republican votes (*) and fell seven short of the 60 needed to close debate and bring the symbolic resolution to a vote.

The resolution arguably was the last gasp of a futile effort to force out Gonzalez, who surely has been the worst attorney general -- and liar -- in memory. Had Republicans' consciences come into play, the vote might have been unanimous or nearly so.

I hasten to add that should the shoe be on the other foot someday, say a no-confidence vote on President Hillary Clinton's attorney general, most Democrats would vote against the resolution and most Republicans for it.

Ahem.

* * * * *

(*) Five of the seven Republican votes against Gonzales came from senators who had already publicly called for his resignation, with Arlen Specter (PA) and Susan Collins (ME) officially calling for his removal for the first time. Four of the GOP senators face elections next year in potentially difficult races, something some Republicans not incorrectly claimed was an ulterior motive for the resolution vote.

The other Republicans were John Sununu (NH), Chuck Hagel (NE), Gordon Smith (OR), Norm Coleman (MN) and Olympia Snowe (ME).