Republican senators argued that it was unfair to say Mr. Gonzales was personally responsible for the specific acts of torture and degradation at Abu Ghraib. That would be a fair defense if anyone were doing that. The Democrats simply said, rightly, that Mr. Gonzales was one of the central architects of the administration's policy of evading legal restrictions on the treatment of prisoners. He should not have been rewarded with one of the most important jobs in the cabinet.
-- NYT
Alberto Gonzales was confirmed 60-36 with six members of the opposition party voting for him, the least in the history of Attorney General confirmations. The vote count basically matched that of Attorney General Ashcroft with two more Democrats supporting him and a shift in weight of party control (plus non-voting Democrats) explaining the shift from the 58-42 vote in that affair.
The six turncoats, who apparently think no standard of infamy in presidential advisors exists, included Sen. Lieberman (like various Republicans, his concern for morality being selective) and the usual suspects (it does not bode well that among them was the new senator from Colorado, who introduced him to the Senate). The numbers suggest one Republican (Sen. Burns of MT, but supported him recently) did not vote, but besides that, it was a straight party line affair.
This is sad, if expected. The sad and disgraceful defense supplied by the likes of Sen. Hatch (see comments per Lieberman) are telling: the Democrats are not just guilty of too much criticism given the respect deserved for those in power and the difficult decisions the times wrought, but there was just no merit to their claims. The argument that Alberto Gonzales played an important role in the very least to negligently promote torture was simply "outrageous."
[The Secretary of Homeland Security designee is no prize, but shows signs of balance and being his own man -- small ones, but they stand in contrast all the same. Dana Milbank also noted the "subtle protest" of a few Republicans during the SOTU. Small signs everyone is not a Stepford Wife.]
So it continues. We live in highly partisan times with the acts and words of the leadership only making matters worse, including by repeatedly putting forth choices that those of conscience simply cannot support. We spit at fate too much ... the bill shall be paid, and we will not always like the bottom line.