After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position, and I accept his decision. It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.

- President George W Bush

Listening to President Bush comment today on the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales it reminded me of listening to a hardcore alcoholic deeply in denial.  This president never takes responsibility for his own actions.  Someone else is always to blame.

The truth is that the president appointed Mr. Gonzales to a position he was both professionally and morally unfit to hold.  The result has been scandal after scandal which has created chaos throughout the American justice system.

People for the American Way released the following statement today that captures many of my own feelings:

“It’s high time this attorney general resigned. Alberto Gonzales was the 'Enabler General' for the imperial Bush presidency. He undermined the Constitution, made a mockery of the rule of law, and turned the Justice Department into an arm of the Bush Administration’s political operation.

“Gonzales protected the interests of George W. Bush over the interests of the American people at every turn. He oversaw a Justice Department that was twisted to serve political interests, from the president’s domestic spying program to bogus allegations of voting fraud that kept minorities and poor people from the ballot box. He showed open contempt for oversight by Congress, and gave testimony under oath that was at best incompetent and at worst, deliberately untrue.

“We first called for the Attorney General to step down in March, and our petition calling for him to step down garnered more than 80,000 signatures.

"Now, it’s time to heal the Justice Department, and find a new attorney general who will restore integrity to the office. The next attorney general must demonstrate the independence of the Justice Department from the Bush Administration, respect the rule of law and accept the just oversight of the American people. The Justice Department must once again be worthy of its name.”

America needs an Attorney General who is independent and committed to the rule of law.