Rise of Gonzales Has Tracked With Bush
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON – Alberto Gonzales, known in White House corridors as “The Judge,” has seen his fortunes track with President Bush’s for more than a decade.
As the president said yesterday in announcing Mr. Gonzales as his pick to succeed Attorney General Ashcroft, “I am very grateful he keeps saying ‘Yes.'”
The 49-year-old Mr. Gonzales has been at Mr. Bush’s side on and off for almost a decade, chosen by Mr. Bush for five high-profile jobs.
It started in 1995 when the then-Texas governor made Mr. Gonzales his chief counsel. Mr. Gonzales was a corporate lawyer, one of the first two minorities to become a partner in one of the state’s largest firms.
Two years later, Mr. Bush picked the Harvard-educated son of migrant farm workers to be the Lone Star state’s secretary of state, which made him the top elections official in Texas. In 1999, Mr. Bush appointed Mr. Gonzales to the state Supreme Court.
When Mr. Bush moved to the Oval Office in 2001, Mr. Gonzales came along as the top lawyer at the White House. He oversaw legal opinions and the selection of judicial nominees.
Described as quiet but practical, Mr. Gonzales has been one of Mr. Bush’s most trusted advisers. In fact, there had been intense speculation that Mr. Gonzales would be Mr. Bush’s choice in the event of a vacancy on the Supreme Court.
As White House counsel, Mr. Gonzales has been at the center of developing and defending Mr. Bush’s approach in fighting terrorism.
