Gonzales on Firings: Just Keep White House Informed
In his questioning of Alberto Gonzales Sen. Russ Feingold asked whether any inquiries were made about why certain U.S. Attorneys were put on the chopping block. Gonzales couldn’t remember. The only management Gonzales exercised was telling his chief of staff Kyle Sampson to keep the White House informed “because these are political appointees.” Micromanaging can be a waste of time, but I don’t think asking why high level federal (at least in their respective localities) appointees should be canned. He can say, “I made the decision” on the firings all he wants. He refuses to accept any responsibility for managing his staff and the process. Gonzales gave Sampson the ball to run where ever he pleased. The ball rolled into the street to be smacked by the Democrats’ Mack truck. The man can’t run the Justice Department and appears to haven’t been running it for months. That explains the lousy initial reaction to the firings, Gonzales misleading Congress, and the drip, drip, drip of this psuedo-scandal.
Sen. Tom Colburn is now calling for Gonzales’ resignation and Sen. Jeff Sessions wants the Attorney General to “think it through and talk to the president about what his future should be” [via Captain Ed].
Conservatives are jumping ship. Gonzales’ days are numbered. He failed to stop the bleeding with his Senate testimony. Gonzales better leave sooner than later. Right now, he’s a dead appendage waiting to be amputated.
“Gonzales: I Only Work Here”
No worries. According to the Washington Post, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said yesterday that Bush “was pleased with the attorney general’s testimony” and that Gonzales “has the full confidence of the president.”