Gonzo Redux

With the ink barely dry on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ resignation letter, the political battle over his exit – and his replacement – is already heating up.

Senate Democrats struck first, with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) laying down a toughly worded marker for a successor.

"Unlike the last time, [Bush] needs to pick the best person, not his best friend," Schumer said during a Capitol press conference Monday.

Schumer’s words did not sit well with Republicans eager to accuse Schumer – the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee – of “hounding” Gonzales out of office, then exploiting his resignation for partisan political gains.

“Chuck Schumer ... has wasted no time appearing on the airwaves today to make the resignation of Alberto Gonzales – and the appointment of a new attorney general – into a partisan issue,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan.

“The appointment of a new attorney general should not be about scoring political points,” Duncan said. “It must be about selecting the best possible person to be our nation’s next top law enforcement official.”
Schumer had spearheaded Senate Democratic efforts against Gonzales.

Early Washington buzz on a successor for Gonzales, who plans to step down Sept. 17, has centered on Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.