Good night Gonzo

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The analysis over the long-awaited and long-overdue resignation of Alberto Gonzales will continue for some time. A good summing up of the commentary is in Slate. For a decent analysis of his less than impressive legacy, check Reason magazine. Let's not forget, this is the man who represented Enron and who called some of the provisions of the Geneva Convention "quaint".

So how will the Gonzales resignation go down with business? He has a mixed report card from Wall Street, reports DealBreaker website. On one hand, he is seen as very pro-business and on the other, he has made no bones about prosecuting corporate wrong doers including backdaters and tax shelter peddlers.

That said, we have seen the continuation of those cosy little deferred prosecution agreements in exchange for fines and co-operation.

As Gonzales said in that KPMG deal two years ago, justice has to serve not only the victims but the offenders as well.

Funny, back in the old days companies caught doing anything wrong would be punished. Now they are given a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

And of course in the case of KPMG, Judge Lewis Kaplan later ruled that the government had violated the defendants' constitutional rights by pressuring KPMG to cut off payment of legal fees in exchange for that agreement.


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