Attorney General Alberto Gonzales speaks to reporters about the ongoing controversy regarding U.S. attorneys who were forced to resign, during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., March 13, 2007.
(3 of 3)
Despite the hue and cry from Democrats, it will ultimately be
Republicans who determine Gonzales's fate. Never popular with Congress,
Gonzales may have to rely largely on the White House for support as
Congressional investigations proceed. For the time being, President Bush is sticking by his old
friend from Texas. But that could change if G.O.P. support for Gonzales slips
further among Republicans in the event of new revelations surrounding the
firings. Arlen Specter, the top G.O.P. figure on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has already suggested that Gonzales may be on his way out, and
doubts about the Attorney General's performance are now being expressed
publicly by stalwart Administration backers such as Sen. John Cornyn of
Texas and Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, the top Republican on the
House Judiciary Committee.
