Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has become a ubiquitous presence in the media recently, thanks to issues relating to immigration reform, intelligence activites and
investigations into compromised national security. But how is the Attorney General holding up under this renewed level of attention? Is Gonzales reaping a harvest of Good PR, or
is he leaving behind a trail of Bad PR for himself and his department?
| The PR Focus | Good PR or Bad PR? |
|---|---|
| In an interview last month with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Gonzales was asked whether his Mexican immigrant grandparents arrived in the U.S.
legally or not. Gonzales answered it was "just not clear" to determine the legality of their border crossing into the U.S. Despite Blitzer's attempts to follow-up on this issue, Gonzales steadfastly claimed he did not know the circumstances of his grandparents' immigration path. |
BAD PR: Gonzales frequently used his grandparents' migrant worker status for self-promotional purposes of his family's American dream ascension,
so his alleged inability to secure a fairly basic fact of their lives is odd. In fairness, the Texas-Mexico border never had its own version of Ellis Island back in his grandparents' younger days and border crossings were not an issue then. But the "just not clear" response is just not kosher. |
| In a May 21 appearance on ABC's "This Week," Gonzales raised the notion that prosecutions of journalists who publish classified information
is "a possibility." Without citing specific cases, Gonzales nonetheless stated: "We have an obligation to enforce the law and to prosecute those who engage in criminal activity." The questioning arose in regard to the New York Times' December 2005 coverage of a National Security Agency surveillance program. |
BAD PR: Even suggesting a threat of criminal pursuit against the media is a lose-lose situation. To his credit, Gonzales wisely avoided going
into specifics of any potential prosecution, nor would he identify which laws would be used to enable such legal action (the most likely peg would be federal espionage laws). Still, making veiled threats against media reporting of often-dubious intelligence activities comes across as crass and hostile bullying. |
| On May 18, Gonzales set up Project Safe Childhood to pursue Internet-based predatory pedophiles. Gonzales declared the U.S. is in "the
midst of an epidemic of sexual abuse and exploitation of our children" and promised to partner with state and municipal law enforcement to track down those who use cyberspace to prey against children. Gonzales also supports ISPs retaining user records for "reasonable amounts of time." |
BAD PR: The timing of this seems a bit curious - how did this issue become an "epidemic" at this particular time? What was missing from the
Gonzales speech was the behind-the-scenes machinations: A meeting of high-profile social conservatives seeking "safe" issues for the White House to pursue ahead of the fall elections. This initiative was among their win-win strategies. Talk about exploitation! |