Some say there was a memorable line in Alberto Gonzales’ public resignation speech at his press conference today.
But, as an analyst of documents for lawyers and judges, to me, that same line in Mr. Gonzales’ speech was one of those “circle what doesn’t belong in tone or topic” kind of lines. One particular line was a “slide-over-baby turn†which is an abrupt right-angle turn in a moving vehicle.
It was as though line after line of his speech was about picking plums, gratitude for plums, hope for plums of the future. Then… all of a sudden he spoke about the wiring diagram for his father’s 57 Chevy. Just one sentence’ worth.
“Even my worst days as Attorney General have been better than my father’s best days.”
Mr. Gonzales’ father died twenty years ago. His father was, by reports, a construction worker who did a good job taking care of his family of many children.
Yet, listening to the press conference– two reporters yelled out pertinent questions as the speech ended, questions that were not answered by Gonzales… One questioner asked why Mr. Gonzales was resigning. A second reporter asked why Mr. Gonzales didn’t tell the truth about this matter when asked about it on Sunday; yesterday.
But that clang of Mr. Gonzales 5 purple sentences and one glaring out of line in bright red-orange stayed with… I thought I’d heard that line before. In fact several times, from different references, from different literatures, from ancient sources as well as modern ones.
Here’s just one recent one from Feb 25, 2006
“Mr. Cheney’s worst day in his wealthy life was a day of quail hunting gone bad. His worst day is better than many soldiers’ best days here in Iraq”
(Tom Halsted, Veterans for Common Sense)
http://www.williambowles.info/gispecial/2006/0206/280206/GISpecial_4B27.pdf
Mr. Gonzales’ sincerity, ambitions, covert motives, and candidness have been critically questioned by those at the highest level in our Nation. Surely whatever one says next ought to be said with special insight and care.
If the speechwriter, or Mr. Gonzales, had said, “‘They say’ that sometimes your worst days are better than the best days of those of our fathers who struggled so”… that would have been credible, giving credence where due, showing the bones of this very old proverb… and not trying to seem ‘original’ while plucking dusty chestnuts off the ground hoping no one is well read enough to notice.
But it still wouldn’t account for the sudden ‘code’ of ‘father’ being used in a speech that is about the AG and Mr. Bush and resigning, and getting on with it. Unless of course, the speechwriter, thought this would ‘humanize’ Mr. Gonzales to a public that thinks he has, in the duration of his service, grown jaws, paws and claws…
But why would a speechwriter or Mr. Gonzales try to pass off this copped and’ fill in the blank’ sentence that sounds good until you realize it is contrived? Perhaps someone thought this would make for a wonderful homey quote that would now forever be attributed to Mr. Gonzales by all media.
I’m afraid what will be attributed instead is that a speechwriter somewhere, or Mr. Gonzales himself, ought have his or her Bartlett’s Quotations taken away.
Mr. Gonzales’ fatted up language does him no favors: for once again he glosses over the critical bones… He appears to be looking to say something important, poignant, useful, memorable with that right angle turn… but instead rolls his latest paint job out of the shop with “Original thought” written across the windshield, when in fact this is his third rebuilt engine and his threadbare tires can’t grab the blacktop any longer.
And that last, whilst cable and network news are asking, What made George Bush let Gonzales go? especially after claiming undying everything including his shoes laces forever to keep Mr. Gonzales close by. Just that: tires cant grab the blacktop any longer. To those who advise this regime, ‘traction and action’ is everything. Except for one thing: it’s supposed to be thought, traction, action. Not, action, traction, thought.