The negative reviews of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ Senate Testimony are pouring in, even from those who might be expected to defend the Bush Administration. For example, here is the opening of Byron York’s coverage on National Review Online:
Judging by his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, there are three questions about the U.S. attorneys mess that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wants answered: What did I know? When did I know it? And why did I fire those U.S. attorneys?
As the day dragged on, it became clear — painfully clear to anyone who supports Gonzales — that the attorney general didn’t know the answers. Much of the time, he explained, he didn’t really know much at all — he was just doing what his senior staff recommended he do.
Gonzales said he would resign when he concluded he could no longer be effective in his position. Is there any doubt he passed this point already? Senator Tom Coburn also asked an important question at the hearing: “Why should you not be judged by the same standards by which you judged these dismissed U.S. attorneys.” It appears Gonzales did not have much of answer, prompting this response from Coburn:
I would just say, Mr. Attorney General, it’s my considered opinion that the exact same standards should be applied to you in how this was handled. And it was handled incompetently. The communication was atrocious. It was inconsistent. It’s generous to say that there were misstatements. That’s a generous statement. And I believe you ought to suffer the consequences that these others have suffered. And I believe that the best way to put this behind us is your resignation.