GOP Senator Calls For Gonzales' Firing

John Sununu Says Bush Should Replace Attorney General In Wake Of Controversial DOJ Ousters

(CBS/AP)  Aside from Sununu, Republicans weren't immediately piling behind Sununu's call for Gonzales' firing.

"I don't believe the attorney general should resign over this," said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. "I don't believe his ability to pursue the terrorist threat has been compromised to the extent that he should resign."

The House and Senate Judiciary Committees have invited Rove, Miers and her deputy, William K. Kelley, to testify voluntarily about their roles in the firings. Gonzales has pledged to allow five of his aides involved in the dismissals to testify.

As insurance, the Senate panel is expected to consider subpoenas for the whole group on Thursday.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters after the meeting with Fielding that the counsel promised a yes-or-no answer by Friday.

"He said it was his goal to get us both the documents and the witnesses that we seek to question," Schumer said. The White House was expected to issue some conditions, but Fielding "said his intention was not to stonewall," Schumer added.

U.S. attorneys are the federal government's prosecutors and serve at the pleasure of the president. They can be hired or fired for any reason, or none at all. After he was elected in 1992, Bill Clinton, thought Attorney General Janet Reno, replaced all of the U.S. attorneys.

However, when the White House dismissed the eight federal prosecutors without explanation, Democrats accused the administration of trying to make way for political allies under a new Patriot Act provision that permits the attorney general to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation.

CBS News legal consultant Andrew Cohen calls the firings "absolutely extraordinary."

"I've been talking to legal historians all week. None of them can remember something in recent memory where this sort of thing has happened. There have been presidents in the past who have had a problem with one U.S. attorney here, one U.S. attorney there, but nothing on this scale — and certainly nothing handled the way this has been handled," he says.

Cohen adds that "some of the U.S. attorneys were targeted and then fired because they weren't toeing the line. They weren't aggressive enough in certain areas, they were too aggressive in other areas, and a lot has to do with politics."

The fired prosecutors are: Carol Lam and Kevin Ryan of California, Bud Cummins of Arkansas, Paul Charlton of Arizona, John McKay of Washington state, Daniel Bogden of Nevada, David Iglesias of New Mexico and Margaret Chiara of Michigan.

Gonzales and the White House denied the charges of a political purge and said they intended to submit the names of the replacements for confirmation.

They initially said the White House had only limited involvement in the firings. But e-mails released by the agency this week made clear that the firings were the result of a two-year campaign to purge the ranks of U.S. attorneys for various reasons, including chafing at the administration's crime-fighting priorities.

The e-mail exchanges between Gonzales' chief of staff and Miers and Kelley made clear the White House was deeply involved in the plan.

Miers, at that time White House counsel, at one point suggested firing all 93 U.S. attorneys. That idea was rebuffed by Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' top aide. Rove is mentioned in several of the e-mails as key to the process. Kelley gave the green light for the firings in another e-mail, saying the White House offices of legislative affairs, political affairs and communications had signed off on it.

Sampson resigned on Tuesday. Mike Battle, who oversaw the U.S. attorneys, announced his resignation last week in a departure the agency said had been long planned.

Bush, and Gonzales a day earlier, used a phrase made famous in previous scandals — "mistakes were made" — and pledged to set things right with Congress.

Appearing Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show, Gonzales said he had a "general knowledge" of Sampson's conversations with Miers about the prosecutors, but said "I was obviously not aware of all communications."

[toldyouso21]

Much has been made of the ugliness of neoCons, their racism, lying, hypocrisy and hatefulness and much has been said about the hypocrisy of the Democrats from the time of reconstruction until the 1970s. What many fail to realize is that both groups are talking about the same people. The rise in incivility, hate, lying and racism directly parallels the defection of old Southern whites from the Democratic party and the joining of them with the old conservative guard. Ignorance always breeds hate, lies, fear and lots of religious fervor to disguise it--so the bane of the GOP can be directly contributed to their new members and their offspring of the past 25 or so years.

[forthepeaple]

HAVE BEEN TELLING ALL OF YOU TO GO AND READ THE FACTS TRUE FACTS ABOUT IRAQ AND IRAN..HOW MUCH LONGER TO I HAVE TO KEEP POSTING THE SAME THING UNTIL YOU ALL READ IT..go to www.scoop.co.nz go to search tab and put in PENTAGON WHISTLE-BLOWER IRAQ and read it..it is sad but true and until you americans wake up and smell the s/h/i/t/ that your government has been telling you for CENTURIES.....
americans need a real american to run this country so vote for david a belanger for president he is a real american and will only help america and americans. [e-mail]

[anvilheadsix]

US_Infidel, do you enjoy being associated with the party of Mary Cheney (lesbian with out of wedlock child), Newt Gingrinch (hypocrite who led impeachment of Clinton while having an affair), Mark Foley (child molester), Ken Mehlman (closeted homosexual head of RNC), and Ted Haggard (junkie and homosexual)??

And you beat up Bill Clinton, the straight, rich, old, white guy.....

I guess this is the new RNC. Time's done changed...

[anvilheadsix]

It isn't your politics that is the most annoying; it is the willful and intentional ignorance and stupidity that you continualy display.
Posted by Zoroastor at 11:36 AM : Mar 15, 2007

That goes for hima, the entire Bush Administration, and the culture of intentional, aggressive ignorance that they are perpetuating!

[zoroastor]

(part II)

You crucify Clinton for lying, as if you believe that integrity mattered. Yet, when a lack thereof is practiced by your own party you ignore, deny and defend to a degree that is equatable with arguing that the sky is NOT blue, but red.

I challenge you to find a democrat who claims Clinton didn't lie. Further, that lying isn't wrong. We admit it.

You, on the other hand, just pretend your party doesn't do it, deny that they do it in the face of incontrovertable evidence to the contrary, and failing in either or both of those, defend it in the name of patriotism and national security.

You make me sick with your whining about the liberal media, the allegid moral absence of the left and the historicly incorrect supposition that the left is fiscally irresponsible.

You and your party simply want what you want and you want it now, regardless of the ethical or moral implications, the rule of law, or the good of the country.

[zoroastor]

(Part I)
"This guy is a RINO. He's a democrat butt kisser who is trying to appease his liberal state so he can get re-elected. It means nothing.
He doesn't have to resign. In fact, it was a mistake for him to admit that "mistakes" were made. The only mistake I can see is that they didn't just stand there like men and tell the press to F-Off."
Posted by US_Infidel at 07:48 AM : Mar 15, 2007

Another posting that serves as a fine example that you, and all of your ilk, are NIAVE, KNEEJERK REACTIONARIES that believe EVERYTHING you read that fits your ideology but thinks anything that doesn't is a leftist conspiricy by the evil media.

Your blind faith in a man and an administration that has repeatedly and blatantly broken the law and makes no apology is laughable.

It isn't your politics that is the most annoying; it is the willful and intentional ignorance and stupidity that you continualy display.

[anvilheadsix]

I really respect Sununu, although I rarely agree completely with him. He is one of the few Republicans who is indentured to neither Corporate America nor the Religious Right.

[frankly6]

US_Infidel

Right wing web sites that pride themselves in unbiased information? Are you trying to make a joke. Cause you made me laugh.

[us_infidel]

What's your source for this information?
Posted by frankly6 at 09:25 AM : Mar 15, 2007

Numerous right wing neocon news sites and blogs that pride themselves on unbiased information but will have no appeal to anyone here.

Let's just say Clinton did it to 90+ in '93 and that was ok, and W did it to 8 in '07 and it's a scandal.

[forthepeaple]

Who said this statement: If the personal freedoms of all americans by the Constitution and bill of right are Inhibiting the Government ability to (Govern)that meant control, the people of united states of america..Than we Should look to Limit those GUARANTEES #2.The united states Government CAN'T BE so fixed on our desires to preserve the RIGHTS of ORDINARY AMERICANS #3.I can do any ********* thing i want,I'm president of the united states and you dont forget that.....who am I.....
Who said this statement: If the personal freedoms of all americans by the Constitution and bill of right are Inhibiting the Government ability to (Govern)that meant control, the people of united states of america..Than we Should look to Limit those GUARANTEES #2.The united states Government CAN'T BE so fixed on our desires to preserve the RIGHTS of ORDINARY AMERICANS #3.I can do any ********* thing i want,I'm president of the united states and you dont forget that.....who am I.....