| Senator Ken Salazar is a man of conviction |
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It takes courage to stand up for what you truly believe in. Even if a decision that you make while in a glass house causes flack from others who have supported you, the person with integrity can live with those decisions when they make them with a clear conscience. In the case of newly elected Democratic Senator Ken Salazar and the Alberto Gonzales fiasco, I think that Salazar stood up for his convictions. I spoke with him and believe that he is at peace with himself.
Some of the readers might think that I have gone loco, believing that I, too, support the appointment of Alberto Gonzales. Not true. I believe through effective interrogation, perhaps even the type that Gonzales supports, he will break. However, that doesn’t insure that he won’t become Attorney General. Presidents and their political cronies yield a lot of power and influence.
In my mind Salazar supporting Gonzales’ appointment is not necessarily the central issue. The issue has to do with the new kid on the block showing that he is no political pushover.
I may not agree with Salazar’s position to support Alberto Gonzales as our next Federal Attorney General, but I do admire his courage. In his first public political act, Senator Salazar stood up and said what he believed. He raised the eyebrows of many Democrats who, I can only imagine, were flabbergasted at his actions.
Democrats may feel betrayed, wondering what Senator Salazar was thinking as he accepted the invitation to introduce Alberto Gonzales to the Senate Judiciary Committee; then, apparently supported his nomination for Attorney General.
He has probably gotten standing ovations in Republican circles within the Latino community. Somehow, they may draw the conclusion that Salazar supports Republicans, meaning that he also supports the Republican agenda.
Most politicians would have bent to the political winds of the time and followed the vestiges of party politics. Was it a wise move on Salazar’s part to do this, especially since Gonzales was under national scrutiny? Columnist Mike Littwin called Salazar’s behavior “an inauspicious beginning.” His deed may have been an unpromising decision for those who live under the rule of party politics. But for those who are not afraid to take a stand, he is a hero. As long as party politics continues to be the unspoken rule in the minds and hearts of our elected officials, we can expect politicians to vote the party line.
How might others be viewing this? If you are a staunch Latino Nationalist, you’ll support Salazar because he supported “someone who is gente,” as a prominent Denver attorney retorted to me when I asked him what he thought about the situation. Perhaps in the minds of some, cultural roots supercede anything else.
If you are Republican, you are elated but perhaps a bit envious because you might never have the courage to do what Salazar did. If you are a Democrat, you might be foaming at the mouth, seeing Salazar as a sellout to the Democratic Party. If you are a Latino Democrat, you might be trying to sort through the issues, wondering if Salazar “es un vendido.” He crossed party lines but he did it for another Latino.
The question that I would be asking is what might be the political fallout for his actions? Following his victory over beer baron Peter Coors, Salazar touted himself as a senator for the people, not just a senator for “Hispanics.” However, his first act can certainly be interpreted as pro Raza. Perhaps a pervasive sense of nationalism clouded Salazar’s thinking as he accepted the invitation. Or maybe it was Gonzales tear jerker social upbringing.
Are Latinos at a place in political development where we can sort through the mishmash of political issues and vote for what we believe is right? That is the litmus test. We shouldn’t vote for someone just because they are Brown. We should vote for someone because we believe they have the interests of the people in mind.
You may not agree with Salazar but he acted like a great leader by standing up in the face of adversity and not only speaking his mind but walking his talk. Ask yourself if you would follow that courage onto any political battlefield. On the other hand, his acts of courage have just begun. When the facts surface into the limelight, Salazar may have to perform another courageous act.
Ramón Del Castillo, Ph.D. is an Independent Columnist.
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