By David Wiessler
Sunday May 20, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary
Committee predicted on Sunday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
might step down in the face of a substantial Senate "no-confidence" vote
on his performance.
The White House said it was unclear whether there would be
such a vote and criticized those Democrats pushing for it,
singling out New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer (news,
bio, voting record) in particular.
"As for no-confidence votes, maybe senators need a refresher
course on American civics," said White House spokesman
Tony Fratto, with President George W. Bush in Crawford, Texas. "What
I mean is I think you find no-confidence votes in parliamentary
systems, not the American system of government."
Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" whether many Republicans
would join the majority Democrats in voting against Gonzales
possibly as early as this week, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter
(news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania said, "I think
so."
"You already have six Republicans calling for his resignation," he
said. "I have a sense ... that before the vote is taken,
that Attorney General Gonzales may step down."
Gonzales has refused to resign under mounting pressure that
began after criticism of the Justice Department's firing of
U.S. attorneys, which Democrats claimed was done mainly for
political reasons.
But Bush has solidly backed Gonzales so Democrats in the Senate
-- who have tried to broaden their complaints against the attorney
general -- scheduled a rare "no-confidence" vote
in hopes of pressuring him to leave.
The White House brushed off the vote, which has no binding
impact on Bush.
"I think the attorney general is not affected by it.
I think the media seems to be focused on it, which I think
for some of the members who are instigating these kinds of
questions, like Senator Schumer, (this) is exactly what they
want," Fratto said.
RESIGN TO AVOID 'BLACK MARK'?
Specter had no first-hand knowledge of Gonzales' intentions
but said he expected a "very substantial vote of no confidence" and "if
and when he sees that coming, that he would prefer to avoid
that kind of an historical black mark."
Specter did not say how he would vote on the "no-confidence" issue
and repeated it was up to Bush and Gonzales to decide what
to do. But the senator has been among the most vocal Republicans
who have criticized the leadership of the Justice Department.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting
record) of Kentucky said on ABC's "This Week" that
if there was a vote on a no-confidence resolution on Gonzales,
Republicans would insist on other resolutions too. He did not
elaborate.
Many senators have been angered by Gonzales' testimony before
Congress in which they saw him as evasive and forgetful.
The attorney general was not helped by testimony last week
by one of his former top aides about a 2004 visit by Gonzales,
who was then White House counsel, to the hospital bed of seriously
ill John Ashcroft to get the then-attorney general to reauthorize
Bush's domestic spying program.
If the Senate approves the no-confidence resolution, House
of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting
record) of California told ABC there was talk of the House
also voting on a similar measure but she would not commit to
that action.
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