WASHINGTON – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (search), passed over twice for a seat on the Supreme Court, said Wednesday that Hispanics should get over their disappointment and give Harriet Miers (search) a chance to show why she deserves to be confirmed.
"Some, including many members of this organization, I know had hoped that the President would nominate a Hispanic to serve for the first time on the Supreme Court (search)," Gonzales said in remarks prepared for delivery to the Hispanic National Bar Association.
"You and I know that there will be a Hispanic on the Court. It is inevitable. I know that you want to hold that appointment up as an example, as a role model to our children," Gonzales said.
Gonzales, the first Hispanic attorney general, was widely viewed as a strong contender for both Supreme Court vacancies this year. President Bush chose John Roberts to take the seat of the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Miers, Gonzales' successor as White House counsel, to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Gonzales in recent days has offered a strong defense of Miers' troubled nomination at every public appearance. His speech to the association also put him in front of an audience that strongly advocated the nomination of Gonzales or another leading Hispanic.
"I ask that you and others reserve judgment and give her an opportunity to show why she would be good for the Court, for the country, and for the Hispanic community," Gonzales said.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox