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"I will vote against the nomination of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General. As Counsel to the President he committed grave errors in formulating the administration's detention and interrogation policies which have put American troops in greater danger. American presidents for decades have believed in the Geneva Conventions because they protect American troops captured by the enemy. It's a mistake to choose as our nation's chief law enforcement officer someone who called these protections 'quaint' and opened a Pandora's Box that has tarred America's image in the world and placed our troops at even greater risk.
"Some of America's most distinguished retired military officers share my concerns. General John Shalikashvili, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Joseph Hoar, former Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Central Command; and Lt. General Claudia J. Kennedy, the former deputy Chief of Staff for Army Intelligence, wrote that 'it is clear that these operations have fostered greater animosity toward the United States, undermined our intelligence gathering efforts, and added to the risks facing our troops serving around the world.'
"Judge Gonzales' confirmation hearings were a golden opportunity to reassure the country that as Attorney General he would uphold and enforce laws which for decades have protected our troops and advanced America's interests in foreign policy. Instead he gave evasive answers which raise doubts about his commitment to the rule of law and reflect an unwillingness to exercise independent legal judgment on critical issues.
"It is for these reasons that I will oppose the nomination of Judge Gonzales to serve in that post."
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