Maybe it’s overshadowed by so many other events this week but John Ashcroft’s resignation and the ascension of Alberto Gonzales as the new Attorney-General seems to not have been getting the attention it probably should have. First, with regards to John Ashcroft’s departure I think I share the sentiments echoed by Roger Simon who is not only able to give Ashcroft credit but puts his record in perspective:

But I am now absolutely certain that those who thought or are still thinking that John Ashcroft is or was a dangerous fundamentalist are lying to themselves or to us. Ashcroft, whatever his idiosyncracies, his prudish desire not to be photographed with nude statues, etc., was fully aware of one of Jesus' greatest teachings - render unto Caesar what is Caesar's - and behaved accordingly. Nothing remotely happened during his tenure to dispute this. We owe Ashcroft a debt of gratitude for his service during exceptionally difficult times.

And Roger is hardly a conservative. So what to make of Gonzales? There are many moderates who have started to jump up and down and argue that Bush has found a moderate to fill the vacant slot at the Justice Department. The fact that Gonzales is Hispanic only adds to that peculiar fascination but I think it is a flawed assessment, it is wishful thinking. Yes, Gonzales has taken a moderate stance on racial issues but that doesn’t turn him into a moderate or a liberal. He crafted the legal framework for Guantanamo Bay, he worked hard to substantiate the veil of secrecy around Dick Cheney’s energy commission, in short he's a solid Bush loyalist and more likely to defend whatever comes from the White House than craft a unique version of his own. The notion that as a Hispanic he would gravitate to more centrist positions is ludicrous, on the contrary. Successful immigrants tend to have fairly conservative positions as much of their success is underpinned by values that are usually found on the right and what they have achieved is something they want to defend and preserve.

Arguing that Gonzales is a move to the center doesn’t hold water and at the same time it’s not a move rightwards either. At the end of the day things will pretty much continue as they are and that may not be such a bad thing after all.

NOTE: Here's a great round-up of media reactions to Gonzales' appointment.