Edwards Statement On The Resignation Of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Following Remarks By Bush

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement following the announcement of the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Edwards has repeatedly called for Gonzales to resign, the first time on March 13, 2007.

"Americans across the country have been calling for months for Alberto Gonzales to resign, and now, the man who oversaw a political purge of U.S. Attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay and approved illegal spying on Americans has stepped down -- this is a victory for all of us.

"The truth is Alberto Gonzales should have resigned months ago. While this news is 'better late than never,' the fight is far from over. Now is the time for a new direction. Instead of replacing him with another political insider, we need to make sure that President Bush replaces him with someone who is essentially nonpolitical, highly qualified, competent, independent and who will protect our civil liberties and the Constitution. That's what the Justice Department needs, particularly in the aftermath of Gonzales."