Alberto Gonzales, US attorney-general, has always served one client: President George W. Bush. Such ­devotion was admirable, so long as Mr Bush was governor of Texas and Mr Gonzales was his in-house lawyer. But as ­attorney-general, he is meant to be the people’s lawyer – not the president’s.

The revelations of the past few days and weeks about the sackings of US prosecutors and violations of US civil liberties by the Federal Bureau of Investigation have amply demonstrated Mr Gonzales’ disdain for the people, the Congress and the justice system that underpins US democracy.