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2005 Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general
On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture.
The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the administration’s counterterrorism policies had led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere. Shortly after the Senate vote, Vice President Dick Cheney swore in Gonzales as attorney general in a small ceremony in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. President Bush, who was traveling, called to congratulate him.
Gonzales was born in 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of migrant workers and grew up in a small, crowded home in Houston without hot water or a telephone. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1973 after graduating high school. Following a few years of service, Gonzales attended the U.S. Air Force Academy.
After leaving the military, Gonzales attended Rice University and Harvard Law School before Bush, then governor of Texas, picked him in 1995 to serve as his general counsel in Austin and in 2001 brought him to Washington as his White House counsel. In this new role, Gonzales championed an extension of the USA Patriot Act.
After Gonzales became attorney general, he faced scrutiny regarding some of his actions, most notably the firing of several U.S. attorneys and his defense of Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program. The firings became the subject of a Senate Judiciary Committee in 2007. Concerns about the veracity of some of his statements as well as his general competency also began to surface.
Democrats began calling for his resignation and for more investigations, but President Bush defended his appointee, saying that Gonzales was “an honest, honorable man in whom I have confidence,” according to an Associated Press reportfromApril.
A few months later, however, Gonzales decided to step down.
On August 27, he gave a brief statement announcing his resignation (effective September 17), stating that “It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead the Department of Justice.” He gave no explanation for his departure. In his resignation letter, Gonzales simply said that “. . . this is the right time for my family and I to begina new chapter in our lives.”
Gonzales and his wife Rebecca have three sons.
Source: www.history.com
This summer the plant trials have been riotous in their displays of colors in the recipe section.
One that caught my eye this year was Merry Go Round which was full of colors from the hot side of the color wheel. One featured plant was Campfire Red Ember.
Red Ember is one of the three in the Campfire series. Campfire Marshmallow, Campfire Flame and Campfire Red Ember. They are known botanically as Bidens and are native to Mexico and the Southwest.
I don’t think any of us need the government to tell us groceries are expensive. We know it when we stand in the meat aisle and lower our standards real fast from 90% lean to 80% lean hamburger meat.
Still, the numbers are interesting.
According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report, grocery prices in July were 2.7% higher than they were a year ago. Beef is where things really hurt. Beef prices were up 9.4% from last July, and uncooked ground beef was up 9%.
Chicken, on the other hand, was actually down 2.7% over the same period, which makes it one of the better bargains in the meat case right now.
The BLS average-price survey puts a pound of ground chuck at $6.85 in July. Two years ago, in July 2024, that same national average was $5.47.
So maybe it is time to resurrect something our mothers and grandmothers understood very well.
Read the full On the Table feature in the Sept. 17 Bowie News.
Big-Pan Chicken Spaghetti
A pound of diced chicken can disappear beautifully through an entire pan of pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken, diced
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can Rotel-style tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Cook spaghetti just until tender and drain.
Meanwhile, sauté diced chicken and onion until chicken is cooked through.
Mix spaghetti, chicken, soups, tomatoes, broth, garlic powder and 1 cup cheese. Spread into a greased 13×9 pan.
Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Have half a bag of frozen peas, broccoli or mixed vegetables lingering in the freezer? Throw them in. This is a forgiving recipe.
Serves 8 to 10.
Perfect Score, Director’s Select, Best of the Best and Leader of the Pack are just a few of the awards for Superlophus. I’m also reasonably sure you are thinking: What is a Superlophus?
Superlophus Sunglow is the official name botanically known as an Oenothera commonly called Texas Primrose. That’s right: This golden yellow flower that is a non-stop bloomer and tough-as-nails is a native selection and winner of 15 awards from Canada to Mississippi.
Read the full Garden Guy feature in the Thursday Bowie News.
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