Cord Byrd: “28 months ago, on February 3, 2005, I voted against the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales to be the Attorney General of…”

“28 months ago, on February 3, 2005, I voted against the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales to be the Attorney General of the United States. Hallelujah, Amen! Eight days before that, I was one of 13 Senators who voted against the nomination of Condoleezza Rice to be the U.S. Secretary of State. And, if the Senate had been permitted to vote on the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank, I would have voted against that nomination, too. I am proud of my votes against confirmation of these failed architects of the unconstitutional war in Iraq. Their flawed policies have cost our Nation dearly. I shudder to contemplate the billions and even trillions of dollars and the decades of effort that it will take to correct their extraordinary errors in judgment. These are the same administration officials, led by Alberto Gonzales here at home, who have done everything they can to abolish our Nation's carefully calibrated separation of powers and to undermine Americans' civil liberties. Based on ongoing errors in judgment and mistakes made on his watch, I remain convinced that my vote against Alberto Gonzales was in the best interests of this country. It is, therefore, not surprising that I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of S.J. Res. 14. This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that Attorney General Gonzales no longer holds the confidence of the Senate and of the American people. Frankly, he never held my confidence.”