CSM: It's not just about fired US attorneys anymore

Congress is asking pointed questions about the role of partisanship in prosecutions, hirings at Justice Department.

By Peter Grier | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
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WASHINGTON - Pundits for weeks have been predicting his resignation is imminent, and lawmakers from both parties have called on him to quit. But so far Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has defied critics – and shows no signs of packing his bags.

The clamor over the firings of eight US attorneys may yet force Mr. Gonzales out. Members of Congress will have another chance to publicly press for his ouster at his scheduled appearance Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee.

But even if Gonzales leaves, uproar about management at the Department of Justice is unlikely to subside. A steady stream of revelations – from allegations about partisan hiring in the Civil Rights Division to possible White House involvement in the US attorney dismissals – has seen to that.

"Congress now is sufficiently concerned that, even were he to resign, I don't think it would change things very much," says Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia.

In one sense, Gonzales's continued survival is a lesson in political power. It has been weeks since experts began to expound about how he couldn't possibly last more than a few days in office. Influential senators, including some Republicans, have made it clear that Gonzales's continued presence will affect their attitude toward Justice Department initiatives.

more:http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0509/p02s01-usju.html

This is the issue that lead to a successful impeachment. A lot of Republicans are very unsettled about DoJ. But it requires Congress to dig deeper and make an airtight case. I believe they are on the way.

Bill Clinton didn't resign under fire. He weathered the storm and emerged triumphant. Reagan isn't the Republican model. Bill is.

The fact that Bill lied only about an affair, not an endless list of impeachable offenses, is completely lost on the proportion-challenged GOP.