Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confronted a fresh call for his resignation from a fellow Republican Thursday as he struggled to survive a bipartisan Senate challenge to his credibility in the case of eight fired prosecutors.
“The best way to put this behind us is your resignation,” Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) bluntly told Gonzales.
Gonzales disagreed and told the Oklahoma senator he didn’t know that his departure would put the controversy to rest.
Democrats, too, bored in.
“Since you apparently knew very little about the performance about the replaced United States attorneys, how can you testify that the judgment ought to stand?” asked Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA).
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), asked Gonzales whether he had reviewed the evaluation records of the dismissed prosecutors, who Justice Department officials initially said had been fired for inadequate performance. He said he had not.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), questioned Gonzales sharply over his insistence that one former prosecutor, Carol Lam of California, had been told of Justice Department concerns with her record on immigration violations. The senator said Lam had testified to the contrary.
But given Gonzales’ political need for Republican support, the line of questioning from several GOP lawmakers was ominous.
“We have to evaluate whether you are really being forthright,” Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)bluntly informed the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
From the Left 
Wow. Kennedy really nailed him with that question. He is really getting flattened. I wonder if any of this will ever stick to Rove though. He seems to be untouched by each scandal he muddles in.
I’ll be surprised if Abu doesn’t resign before the end of the business day tomorrow.
Gonzo said “I can’t recall” 74 times. Anyone who is a lawyer or who has worked for lawyers know such a thing is impossible.
Lawyers are trained to recall everything.
Whew! Love this post.
TomCat has a great Olberman vid with analysis by Turley on where Gonzo stands leading into his testimony.
http://politicsplus.blogspot.com/
Gonzo will have to be dragged kicking and screaming as he’s kicked to the curb.
We’ll have to do that to all of them. They’ll never leave willingly, even if evidence of their criminality is spread all over the country and members of their own evil party confront them.
I agree, Dad.
Not even the depths of humiliation will cause resignations. Only if their political liability becomes too great will they be forced out.
Or if they are arrested.
Just saw a few minutes replayed on CSPAN and poor, little Abu looked like a 12 year old who was in trouble with his mommy and daddy. What a joke! 🙂
My gut tells me a resignation is highly unlikely. Bush needs 3 people to make it through until January, 2009: Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales.
If one of them leaves, resigns or dies, the whole house of GOP cards collapses.
I have to say, while Gonzo was speaking, stammering, stumbling and mumbling, I kept thinking, this man is a Harvard Law School graduate? Harvard, in Cambridge, MA? So much for the myth of the superiority of the mind able to successfully get through the rigors of law school and graduate.
LOL! Love the picture. The puppet and his Master. What a lovely image!
What an incredible hearing today! Gonzo was so confused at one point on which story was the real one that it made my head spin.
A reporter from CNN compared Speedy’s appearance yesterday to a baby seal being beaten. Ouch! I just don’t see how he can survive. Bush may be stupid enough to stand by him but his father, Poppy Bush, I think would rather have him back in Houston working for “the Family.”
Alzheimer’s is now a prerequisite for employment in the Bush Reich.