Yesterday, every Democrat on the Judiciary Committee took an important stance in voting against confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General:

The vote was much closer than expected, as all eight Democrats on the panel voted against Mr. Gonzales. Several Democrats who had indicated their support for Mr. Gonzales when President Bush first nominated him in November called Mr. Gonzales on Tuesday to say they would oppose him. Democrats accused Mr. Gonzales of being evasive and "arrogant" in explaining the Bush administration's stance on the treatment of prisoners in the fight against terrorism. But his Republican defenders lauded him as a man of integrity and keen intellect whose Horatio Alger-like story - rising from poverty as the son of migrant workers in Texas - made him suited to become the nation's first Hispanic attorney general...the Judiciary Committee's narrow endorsement, a day after many Democrats attacked Condoleezza Rice on the Senate floor over her nomination for secretary of state, signaled the minority party's willingness to do battle with the White House over another high-profile nomination, and Republicans acknowledged their disappointment over the strong show of opposition.

Most telling is Russ Feingold, who declared Gonzales unfit even given the broad latitude he grants the President in appointing a cabinet:

As all of my colleagues on this Committee know, I believe that Presidents are entitled to a great deal of deference in their cabinet nominations. I have voted in favor of a number of this President's nominees, including the current Attorney General, with whom I had serious disagreements on matters of policy and general ideology. My votes may not have always pleased my political supporters, or my party's leadership. But in carrying out my part in the constitutional scheme, as one who is asked to advise on and consent to a President's nominations, I am guided by my conscience, and by the history and practices of the United States Senate. Rejecting a cabinet nominee is a very rare event. The decision to do so must never be taken lightly. Mr. Chairman, I have reached the conclusion, after a great deal of thought and careful consideration, that I cannot support Judge Gonzales's nomination.