Senator Cornyn Comments on Gonzales Nomination

SENATOR CORNYN COMMENTS ON GONZALES NOMINATION

Nomination comes at a critical time in our nation's history, Cornyn says

WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former Texas Attorney General, made the following statement Wednesday regarding President Bush's announcement to nominate White House Counsel, Judge Al Gonzales, to be U.S. Attorney General:

"I'm very excited for the country, I'm excited the President made such a great appointment and I'm excited for Judge Gonzales, somebody who I count as a personal friend and someone I've worked with over a number of years. The President has chosen wisely with this appointment and certainly one that's so important at this time in our nation's history, and as we continue to prosecute the war on terror.

"This will be the first of the President's nominees in his second term to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which unfortunately has a very checkered record in his first term, particularly when it comes to the treatment of the President's judicial nominees. I think Judge Gonzales deserves respect, I think he deserves a fair hearing and I know he does not deserve the kind of partisan attacks that we've seen by special interest groups in the past. So my hope is that he will get a fair and full hearing, he'll be treated with the respect he's entitled to and ultimately, I'm confident, that he will be and should be confirmed as Attorney General."