Slowly dying out of the media spotlight, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales still remains in his position. While left-wing Democrats call for his resignation and loyal Bush administration Republicans scoff at the idea, nothing is being done.

The issue started when Gonzales fired nine federal attorneys. Normally, new presidents change federal attorneys every time they take office, but that happens at the beginning of an administration change. This happened toward the end of President Bush’s term in office.

The question is: Was it all legal? The answer is, yes, it was legal.

There is nothing on the books that prevents any administration from removing federal attorneys from office at any time. If some of you have been following this story and feel that Gonzales should be removed from office, I agree with you. But there isn’t a legal reason behind it. Gonzales does not bring up an issue of legality, but of ethics.

In the other part of this case, White House Adviser Karl Rove has been continually pressured by Congress to testify against the Bush administration. Claiming that Rove holds secrets behind the cloak of executive privilege, Congress is overly anxious to sit down with the White House adviser. The Bush administration fired back and said Rove would only comment if he was not put under oath. The common theme in politics today is an escape from the simple right-and-wrong.

Look back six months to the actions of Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), our own representative from NIU and DeKalb, when he did not reveal his knowledge of sexual abuse of congressional pages. Hastert admitted to knowing about the sexual abuse before the scandal hit the airwaves, but neglected to mention it to anyone.

I never realized we elected politicians to remain silent.

Consider life on campus. The deplorable conditions of the Stevens Building and the Grant Towers are examples of neglect. Still, no matter how much people comment on these issues, nothing seems to be done about them. Do we all need to be reminded of simple moral standards: Take responsibility for your actions, don’t blame other people, don’t lie, and fix the problem?

The problem with Gonzales is not that he did anything illegal, because he didn’t. However, the question of ethics comes into play. This is especially true when the Bush administration seems to protect its closest advisers to guard its own interests. A good quote Gonzales used that brings this to mind is: “If there’s one thing that makes me sick, it’s when people try to hide behind politics. I think it’s time for a reemergence of the basics about truth-telling and accountability in our everyday lives.”