"I think there's an imperative for the White House to help us interview people like Rove and Miers, because recent testimony, including Gonzales', more and more indicates that they may be -- may be -- at the nexus of this," Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on "Fox News Sunday."
Schumer, a Judiciary Committee member, said of Gonzales' appearance before the panel: "All of America saw why so many of us had felt for so long that he shouldn't be attorney general. He was not in command of the facts. He contradicted himself. And he doesn't really appreciate the role of attorney general."
Gonzales and other administration officials have said the eight U.S. attorneys -- out of 93 total across the country -- were replaced because their performances were inadequate, even though all had received positive job reviews.
Gonzales has conceded the terminations were poorly handled. Democrats have questioned whether they were dismissed because they were considered insufficiently loyal to the White House.
At least one commentator came to Gonzales' defense Sunday.
David Rivkin, who was White House counsel under President George H.W. Bush, said it was unfair to say that Gonzales had not performed well in his testimony.
He accused Democrats of a partisan witch hunt and said Republicans were angry about other issues.
"He is the key architect of [crucial legal decisions] this administration has made regarding 'enemy combatants,' " the Patriot Act and wiretapping, Rivkin said.
"In a way, he's caught in a perfect storm."
nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
