Vote Delayed on Attorney General Nominee

 
Attorney General designate Alberto Gonzales will have to wait at least another week before getting a Senate committee vote on his nomination to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee decided Wednesday to ask for a one-week hold on Gonzales' nomination. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said the committee should not vote on Gonzales yet because the nominee has not yet answered all of the Democrats' questions. Democrats have complained that Gonzales has been evasive with his answers to their questions about White House policies on the war on terror and they want him delayed until they are satisfied. "If we are to meet our constitutional responsibility in the confirmation process, we must insist that Mr. Gonzales provide responsive answers to these fundamental questions," Kennedy said. "He should not be listed on the agenda for a committee vote on his nomination until he does so." The delay means that Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., can call for a confirmation vote on Gonzales at the next committee voting session, which will likely be next week when the Senate returns from its January recess. [more]