"Dean: Gonzales and Rove Must Go"

DNC:

The following release was issued today by the Democratic National Committee:

The best way for Attorney General Gonzales to accept responsibility is to step down. While the American people soundly rejected the Republican Culture of Corruption last November, the Bush White House continued to put partisan politics ahead of the interests of the American people when it fired US Attorneys and inserted politics into ongoing criminal prosecutions.

"The best way for Attorney General Gonzales to accept responsibility is for him to step down," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "The Bush White House has consistently put protecting the President and doing his bidding ahead of upholding the integrity of our nation's laws. Karl Rove should pack his bags and go too. His type of leadership doesn't belong at the White House. America deserves better."

Karl Rove Involved In Scandal; President Bush Also Possibly Involved. The Associated Press reported that "complaints about the job performance of prosecutors occasionally came to the White House and were passed on to the Justice Department, perhaps including some informally from President Bush to Gonzales." The AP also reported that President Bush's former legal advisor "floated the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys at the start of President Bush's second term." [AP, 3/13/07] In the case of the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico, "Presidential advisor Karl Rove and at least one other member of the White House political team were urged by the New Mexico Republican party chairman" to remove the official. [McClatchy, 3/11/07]

Prosecutors Fired For Purely Political Reasons. In Seattle, Washington, John McKay was fired because the White House became displeased over his inaction during a 2004 recount in the gubernatorial race. In Albuquerque, N.M., Republican officials protested all the way to the White House when David Iglesias resisted efforts from Senator Pete Domenici (news, bio, voting record) and Rep. Heather Wilson (news, bio, voting record) to wrap up a corruption investigation before the 2006 election for their own partisan purposes. In Little Rock, Ark., H.E. "Bud" Cummins III was pushed aside, he was told, to make room for a Bush campaign aide and former assistant to Karl Rove. In San Diego, Carol Lam convicted Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, only to lose her job.