Gonzales nominated for United States Attorney General

Today, Alberto Gonzales was nominated by President Bush to replace United States Attorney General John Ashcroft for Bush's second term. During the speech, Bush will give a glowing description of the nominee

His sharp intellect and sound judgement have helped shape our policies in the war on terror ... He has an unwavering principle of respect for the law.

In an interview with The New Yorker, John C. Yoo, the author of the memo from 09 January 2002 which argues that members of al Qaeda and members of the Taliban are not entitled to protection under the Geneva Conventions, relates this to public opinion on torture. He states that President Bush's victory in the 2004 election, along with the relatively mild challenge to Gonzales mounted by the Democrats in Congress, was "proof that the debate is over." He said, "The issue is dying out. The public has had its referendum."