Still unable to find work, Alberto Gonzales turns to the writerly craft
Last year was the year of layoffs, and 2009 is not looking much better. Law firms are not the only ones hurting. From the Wall Street Journal [subscription] via the Daily Beast.
A December survey of US-based employers found that 23 percent expect to lay off workers in the next year and more than 15 percent expect to freeze salaries or hiring, cut spending on travel or training, or increase employees’ contributions to health care premiums.
We often wonder how those who were let go over the last year are faring in this dismal economy. The Austin American-Statesman brings us news from one of the more recognizable legal faces currently found in the unemployment lines: former AG Alberto Gonzales.
We’ve been following Gonzales’ desperate search for a job since last August. The latest news: still unemployed. He tells the Statesman:
“It’s a rough economy right now, and it’s a tough time for a lot of law firms right now. Obviously they are very careful about bringing on new people, and they are going to be careful about bringing on people where there are questions about things that may have happened in their past,” he said. “Over time, I’m confident those things will be resolved, and things will work themselves out.”
So he’s going to do what so many of us who are good for nothing else do: write. The tale of his forthcoming tale, after the jump.
Unlike Bush press secretary turned Bush megacritic, Scott McClellan, Gonzales plans to defend the administration in his memoirs:
“This is not about writing a best-seller,” the Texan said in an interview. He said the book would be a success even if read only by his sons, now 13 and 16, “to set the record straight so they know what happened.”“I think there is so much misinformation out there, not just about me but about the Bush administration and what we were about. It’s important for our side of the story to be told. If it’s not told by us, no one is going to tell it,” he said.
The question is: is anyone going to read it?
Gonzales writing book on years in Bush administration [Austin American-Statesman]
Layoffs Continue in New Year [Wall Street Journal (subscription)]
Layoffs Hit 2009 [The Daily Beast]
Earlier: Prior coverage of Alberto Gonzales (and his job search)
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Comments
What does this have to do with Cahill layoffs?
There were Cahill layoffs? You have any details?
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maybe he can get a job at Cahill or A&B at the freeze
Ex-Attorney General can't get a job.....has this EVER happened before? What a complete retard.
too mexican --- did not read.
I wonder if he submits the waterboarding memos as writing samples.....
6 = racist.
He'd be the perfect partner in today's economy: a firm could just use him to come up with bogus reasons to fire associates!
Hmm, how do you write a book about what happened if you don't remember any of it?
2 - There were no layoffs at Cahill; however, both Gordon and Reindel had severe cuts.
who's kidding who? osama won... destroyed the financial market. all we did was delay the win for 8 years
Yes, let's pile on on Gonzales some more. While we're at it, let's call Bush an idiot a few more times, and feel all that much better about ourselves.
Looking forward to the day when Barack, Michelle, Biden and the rest are in this position. At least Gonzales is a patriot.
13 = pussy.
My cat leaves a lovely warm patch on my bed where she sleeps
11 - are gordon and reindel ok? did they lose a lot of blood? cahill is such a sadistic a-hole
12 you're a moron and i hope you fall down a flight of stairs.
14,
Which of these definitions of "patriot" applies to Gonzales:
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
I would have to say neither. He might love and support the US, but his actions didn't defend its interests. And anyone who says he defended individual rights is a moron.
16, violates his cat at night.
13 clearly has issues.
19, number 1, all the way. Why would you say that his actions do not defend the interests of the nation? I'm assuming that you have to be making some judgment call about what the best interest of the nation is.
Comment removed by moderator.
23 its over, we are done with this conversation. Stop it.
@1 -- F U and Cahill. If you can't find out here go elsewhere. You little biatch. Okay, we all know you work at Cahill. Give it a rest.
10. You're not getting enough credit for that brilliant remark.
--Elie
#10= comment of the day
It seems like some TTT would snap him up. My guess -- SMU law.
25 - What are you talking about? Is there some news about something that happened at Cahill?
Agree with 10.
Medical teams found four young children huddled by the bodies of their dead mothers in a shelled house. http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1110212/Israel-faces-UN-war-crimes-probe-dozens-civilians-moved-safe-house--bombed-airstrike-24-hours-later.html
Watch this CBS news video to see what Jews are doinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev6ojm62qwA
The Pope calls Gaza a concentration camp. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL8378047
why doesn't he go work in texas. i hear he can make some SERIOUS cash there. YAWN
why doesn't he go work in texas. i hear he can make some SERIOUS cash there. YAWN
i wish someone would fire rockets at #31
Yes, I clearly have issues because I think it's time for us to move on.
RENO IS A MAN, BABY!!!!!!
NAILING SHEEP > sleeping with cats
Instead of just "comment removed by moderator", can you put "comment removed by moderator because...." . This could give some context to later posts that make reference to the deleted comment. Many thanks.
#31- not as amusing as AIPAC troll. Please rant elsewhere .
comment deteleted by moderator because...
If someone doesn't hire Gonzales, then the terrorists win! Why do they hate our freedom?
37, you sir are a moron. The reason that the posts are deleted by moderator is precisely so that the discussion ends because there is no context. The point is to end the discussion that the deleted post started or was trying to start. I hope you fall down a flight of stairs.
#39 is an asshole, get out of here. This space is for respectable conversation only!!
Moderator GULCing commenter in the 2 spot because.....
If Regnier Publishing doesn't hire Gonzales, it hates America.
Boycott Regnier Publishing!
Really really slow news day huh
40, stop with that dumb comment. Terrorists don't hate us for our freedoms. They hate us because of the things we do around the world. Read Confessions of an Economic Hitman.
comment removed by moderator because 37 eats paint chips, and loves sheep.
I agree with 41, 37, you sir are a moron
46, FAIL! They hate us because we are free, they are not, and they have sand in their vaginas.
37 loves sheep in the biblical sense...
13, HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Stoopid republicans!
Surely Bracewell and Giuliani will step up and hire the former AG.
13, HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Stoopid republicans!
Surely Bracewell and Giuliani will step up and hire the former AG.
13, HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Stoopid republicans!
Surely Bracewell and Giuliani will step up and hire the former AG.
40 stop with that dumb comment. terrorist dont hate us because of our freedoms, they hate us because of dumb people like 46 who think they know how to read
Sand in the ole love hole is irritating indeed!
Prison is hiring.
Sand in the ole love hole? Howabout sand in the poop chute?!
I think before Obama takes office they should execute everyone at Gitmo and Bush should just whip out the good ole' pardon pad.
57, I heard that arabs actually just have one hole and they use it for everything.
The guy was a Texas Supreme Court Justice, Counsel to the Governer, White House Counsel and Attorney General and he cannot find a job? Is that true?
To answer the question, I will definitely read his book because its bound to be full of Jack Bauer like statements that he doesn't regret anything he did.
And, I'm still surprised AG hasn't found a job. He definitely wasn't the right pick to head the Justice Dept, but he was a very successful partner in the past. There would be initial controversy, but there's no doubt AG would be able to bring in big business from Bush supporters in Texas.
60
I think the point is to say that the legal job market is atrocious.
If he can't do it, you certainly can't, you peasant.
i hear jack bauer just got laid off
49, 56. You guys can't be serious. Sure there are some fanatics but America does a lot of bad stuff including law firms who represent Halliburton and Bechtel and banks who take advantage of impoverished people.
63, I hear Jack Bauer just laid on your mom.
Greenberg Traurig and Blackwater?!?
64, stupid people deserve to have their money taken away. Maybe its a little Darwinian but hey that is capitalism.
65=angry unemployed secretary
55, but its worth it for the pearl you eventually get.
It's evidence of how ubelievably shitty Gonzalez was as AG, and as White House Counsel. Not even a single crappy Texas firm is willing to offer him a job. He is radioactive.
Can you think of another White House counsel or AG in history who was similarly unemployable?
14 - Gonzales is not a patriot. Having the courage to stand up to the Bush administration on behalf of the Constitution would make him a patriot. Blindly doing the bidding of who he perceives to be his client in subverting the Constitution is closer to treason than patriotism.
59 -- Its true, I saw a documentary on it.
71, what if it was actually what he thought was right? Would you prefer that we take your interpretation of the constitution and blindly follow it while Americans get killed? I love the constitution, I think that the principles it embodies have made our country great. But I'll be damned if we are going to use it as an excuse to let terrorists continue killing innocent people and not do everything that we can to stop them.
arabs = oneHole
74, can we agree to substitute "oneHole" for "arab" from now on?
67 - Yes some people shouldn't breed. Other people are under duress. Imagine growing up in a 3rd world country where all the natural resources are pledged as collateral for loans they can't possibly pay back. Guess who wrote up those contracts for American banks and Halliburton and Bechtel? Biglaw lawyers
65, u just got SLAP-CHOPED!
Comment Removed by Moderator = Censorship. Thx.
two arabs one cup
I figured lawyer comments would be a little more intelligent than comments on your average website, but I was wrong. The pettyness is there. The wit and wisdom, on the other hand, are nowhere to be found (although number 59 comes close). Not only are you guys evil, but you're not one bit entertaining. Boo lawyers.
I figured lawyer comments would be a little more intelligent than comments on your average website, but I was wrong. The pettyness is there. The wit and wisdom, on the other hand, are nowhere to be found (although number 59 comes close). Not only are you guys evil, but you're not one bit entertaining. Boo lawyers.
Cheers to 59 for speaking the truth!
73 - it is entirely possible he thought what he was doing was "right." But I don't understand your logic that follows.
Do you mean that if it is possible that by violating the constitution one or more American life could be saved, then we should violate or abrogate the constitution? If so, then are all constitutional provisions equally dimishable? Would you propose gutting the 2nd amendment, 4th amendment and 5th amendment all equivalently? Or are some parts of the constitution more important? How many lives do you have to save to violate the constitution? Just one? One thousand? How sure do you have to be that you will save lives? 1% ? 100% ?
Seems like if we value the constitution, we need to follow it, even if it means that more Americans may get killed. Otherwise, we become the kind of society we are fighting against.
oneHole, it is!!
allahhh akbahrr!!!!!
He should sue under the ADAAA - firms are discriminating against him because they regard him to be an amnesiac.
After his history of giving whatever advice the boss wanted to hear, would a CEO be able to rely on any advice he gave? How could you stand in front of any Board and say that an action was ok because Gonzalez said it was.
Has Gonzales tried contract attorney work?
Has Gonzales tried contract attorney work?
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
The former AG should try serving the people as a Legal Aid Attorney. This will be some recompense for his last few jobs. Think about it. A former Supreme Court justice, WH counsel and Attorney General can't find a job. Either the job market is really, really bad or there is something more profound with Gonzo.
26- will you go pop in the microwave?
Gonzales is a patriot.
Nobody on this board has what it takes to defend this country. You all pussyfoot around hoping that another 9/11 doesn't happen, but you don't want to do anything about. You don't want to get your hands dirty. Several months after Obama takes office and we are struck again, the refrain will be "it was Bush's fault/Cheney's fault/Gonzales' fault." It won't be that Obama and the Congress decided that waterboarding and other coercive tactics weren't necessary to protect the American people. Heaven forbid KSM be made to feel like he is drowning before he gives up some answers (which he did). Do you not forget people buring to death on the top floors of the WTC or diving to their deaths to avoid such a fate? And we're worried about waterboarding.
What's happened to this country??
86 - good point.
96- Getting hit on 9/11 was primarily the fault of both Clinton and Bush II, and if we get hit again, there is plenty of blame to go around to all ends of the political spectrum, to both the executive and congress. Lots of what we have done to train and incentivize more terrorists has been non or bi-partisan, so don't get into the domestic partisan blame game.
I agree with the question "What's happened to this country?" When I was growing up, the movies always showed the good Americans, who treated their German and Japanese prisoners humanely, despite how their compatriots treated American prisoners. In the westerns, the good guy never drew first, or shot anyone in the back. Sometimes that cost him dearly, but the principle was more important. But now we are torturing prisoners and shooting first. And the American public is largely quiet. What happened to this country?
Alberto, I heard of an S & M shop off of Time Square that is looking for someone to push their line of whips and chains.
96 --
What's better: living in (some) fear of an unpredictable event (another attack) because we have a free and open society (which is therefore inherently vulnerable to a certain extent) or living in constant but predictable fear (though perhaps lower level) of our own government because it does not honor our freedoms? I'd prefer the former, but maybe there's a case for the latter...though you can't conflate the debate with "our country [being wrong]". The debate is exactly what we're trying to protect.
76 - love this country or leave!
Stupid pathetic Mexican.