Gonzales Faces Tough Confirmation Battle

Jan. 6, 2005 — -- As Senate committees begin hearings on three Cabinet nominations, two of President Bush's choices are expected to win confirmation easily. But Alberto Gonzales, looking to become the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, can expect a tough grilling.

Gonzales, the current White House counsel and a former Texas Supreme Court justice, will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee today after days of controversy concerning legal policy he oversaw regarding how detainees and prisoners of war can be treated.

As the president's top lawyer, Gonzales had a large role in developing much of the White House's post-9/11 terrorism policies. Democrats have attacked a 2002 memo he wrote advising the president that members of al Qaeda and the Taliban were not protected by the Geneva Conventions, which forbid torture of prisoners.

In his opening statement to the Judiciary Committee, Gonzales plans to pre-empt these criticisms. In a prepared text of the statement obtained by ABC News, Gonzales says that if confirmed as attorney general, he will no longer be representing the White House, but will be representing the American people.

"Wherever we pursue justice," he says in the prepared text, "from the war in terror to corporate fraud to civil rights -- we must always be faithful to the rule of law. I want to make very clear that I am deeply committed to the rule of law."

Separate hearings will be held for Margaret Spellings, nominated to succeed Education Secretary Rod Paige, and Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, who would replace Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. Both of these nominees are expected to pass through their hearings easily.

Gonzales, however, faces tougher questioning. Since he was tapped to succeed John Ashcroft, he has been dogged by the prisoner controversy.

In a June 22 briefing, Gonzales told reporters his memo was not meant to endorse torture. "Let me just say that throughout the entire government, the directive is clear: no agency is to engage in torture, every agency is expected to follow the law," he said. "All interrogation techniques actually authorized have been carefully vetted, are lawful and do not constitute torture."