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Hispanic Groups Reconsider Their Support for Gonzales
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"I do not see Alberto Gonzales as evil incarnate," Flores said. "Brent doesn't know him from Texas, where he was on the Supreme Court and did a favorable job."
Two years ago, Gonzales's stint on the Texas Supreme Court was cited as the reason that LULAC and La Raza supported him. Unlike other groups such as the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the National Urban League and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, they backed Gonzales despite reports about the administration's policy on interrogations.
At a lavish award ceremony in March 2005, Murguia, of La Raza, praised the new attorney general while introducing him as the guest speaker. "We want to make sure that people understand that we are reaching out to this administration," she said of her liberal group. "We see this as an opportunity to get things done."
In return, Gonzales acknowledged La Raza, saying he had "this organization to thank for supporting my nomination for attorney general."
But he often did not acknowledge Murguia's telephone calls. "I think that if I called him, I know I could get to him," she said. "But I think the difference is someone who wants to engage the [Hispanic] community and do it on a regular basis, and I think we didn't see that.
"I think that based on his credentials in Texas, it appeared that he was qualified. I don't think he's demonstrated that."
Other Hispanic organizations say he has. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the National Latino Peace Officers Association, the Latino Coalition and the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute all wrote letters supporting Gonzales when he became embroiled in the scandal over the prosecutor firings.
"We strongly oppose what is nothing but patently political calls for the resignation of Alberto Gonzales," the Latino Coalition wrote. "He has been, and continues to be, a leading example to all in the Hispanic community of what we can accomplish through hard work and keeping true to our dreams."
Carlos Villarreal, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, said Hispanic activists sometimes speak ill of La Raza and LULAC for supporting Gonzales.
"My sense is there is more cynicism about both these organizations, particularly among activists," he said. "My sense is that it's been a huge disaster having him there, for many reasons."
