The U.S. Attorney scandal is the story that won't die, yet Gonzales is still in office. Bush continues to support his crooked Attorney General as the calls for his departure increase. Over the last week Republicans have increasingly joined their Democratic counterparts in advocating for his removal. Apparently George hasn't gotten the message so far. Nevertheless, that message continueto be jammed down the White House's throat.
From the Associated Press:
Specter, R-Pa., said he would wait until Gonzales' scheduled April 17 testimony to the committee on the dismissals before deciding whether he could continue to support the attorney general. He called it a "make or break" appearance.
To Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., Gonzales "does have a credibility problem. ... We govern with one currency, and that's trust. And that trust is all important. And when you lose or debase that currency, then you can't govern. And I think he's going to have some difficulties."
Hagel cited changing stories from the Justice Department about the circumstances for firing the eight U.S. attorneys. "I don't know if he got bad advice or if he was not involved in the day-to-day management. I don't know what the problem is, but he's got a problem. You cannot have the nation's chief law enforcement officer with a cloud hanging over his credibility," Hagel said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Gonzales has been "wounded" by the firings. `He has said some things that just don't add up," said Graham, who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It is always hard for Republicans to change their views, especially when a decision can hurt their beloved Bush Adminstration. They are naturally opposed to change, it is the essential definition of 'conservative' in the political sense of the word. However when the political climate is a volitaile over the issue as it is now, Bush and especially Alberto Gonzales will continue to lose their friends in support of keeping the Attorney General on board, loyalty or no loyalty.
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