Hecklers dog Gonzales By JACK STRIPLING Nov 20, 2007
Hounded by hecklers and protesters, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales defended an admittedly imperfect record before a raucous University of Florida audience Monday night.

Gonzales devoted much of his speech to encouraging students to enter public service, despite the criticism that public officials like himself endure.

The fervency of that criticism was readily apparent as several protesters stood with their backs turned toward Gonzales throughout his speech, frequently interrupted him with calls of “liar” and “treason” and, in some cases, stormed the stage...

Two UF students, wearing black hoods over their heads and orange suits that resembled those worn by prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, hopped onto the stage next to Gonzales before they were arrested by UF Police. As the men were removed from the auditorium, Gonzales said, “Our young men and women fight overseas to preserve this kind of freedom of speech.”

In an audience of about 1,500 people at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Gonzales had several dozen supporters who gave him standing ovations. But the former attorney general, who recently resigned from his post under a cloud of controversy, was challenged at times to even complete a sentence because of the disruption from his opponents.

Gonzales was appointed to the post of U.S. attorney general in 2005, becoming the nation's first Hispanic attorney general. President Bush has touted Gonzales' story, growing from the son of a Mexican farmer into the country's top cop, as an embodiment of the American dream.

“America is where dreams come true, and I love America for all she has done for me,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales was effusive in his praise of the United States as a land of strong principles of justice, but the hostile crowd that viewed Gonzales as a man who undermined those principles was quick to hiss any time Gonzales praised his country. When Gonzales said “name one country that does more to promote the rule of law,” he was met with laughter.

Gonzales, a longtime ally of President Bush, was perceived by his critics as an agent of Bush's agenda — regardless of whether that agenda coincided with the rule of law. Specifically, critics charged Gonzales was tolerant of torture and instrumental in politicizing the Justice Department.

In a question-and-answer session, handled by a moderator who read the questions from submitted cards, Gonzales was repeatedly asked about the controversies of his tenure. Asked about the firing of U.S. attorneys, which some charged were politically motivated, Gonzales acknowledged that the “process should have been handled in a different way.”

Gonzales defended the Bush administration's position that “enemy combatants” are not entitled to the provisions of the Geneva Convention that require humane treatment of prisoners of war. He maintained that the administration didn't condone torture, and yet Gonzales acknowledged that “occasionally things happen in war that should not happen.”

Gonzales dismissed critics, however, who have equated U.S. interrogation techniques with those who would do harm to Americans.

“We're not in the same universe as our enemies,” he said.

Gonzales' speech was sponsored by Accent, the UF student-run speakers bureau. He was paid $40,000 for his appearance.

The two UF students who rushed the stage, identified as Richard Gutierrez and Kevin Hachey, were arrested by UF Police for disrupting a public event — a misdemeanor. Lt. Stacy Ettel of the UF Police Department said the police only arrested those who rushed the stage — not those who heckled — because they posed a potential threat to Gonzales.

Four uniformed UF officers were stationed at the venue, but more undercover officers were also present, Ettel said.

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