Gonzales Seeks Support in the Court of Public Opinion

As more information surfaces about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' role in the Justice Department scandal over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, Gonzales is going "on a public relations tour to boost his image," reports Jennifer Hoar. "To mitigate backlash," Gonzales is making "a conference call to U.S. attorneys, personal meetings and lunches with senators and members of Congress and an impromptu appearance at the National Hispanic Leadership Summit." In addition, "the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute and the Fraternal Order of Police, among others" have issued letters of support for Gonzales. Some public relations professionals questioned the effectiveness of involving Latino groups in Gonzales' damage control. "Gonzales is a nice guy, but he represents an administration that is cause for disillusionment," said Marc Campos, the president of the PR firm Campos Communications, which specializes in "Hispanic community relations." Campos said that if Gonzales "is asked to resign, there are not going to be a whole lot of tears shed."