The Nation - FBI chief undercuts Gonzales' testimony on Bush wiretapping

Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Robert S. Mueller III also undercut statements Gonzales offered this week to lawmakers about a controversial hospital visit to the bedside of then-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft in March 2004.

Mueller's disclosures come amid what until now has been a highly partisan debate on Capitol Hill over Gonzales' tenure at the Justice Department and his reputation for honesty.

The testimony by the career Justice Department official -- who has headed the FBI for six years -- came just hours after Senate Democrats called on the department to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether Gonzales had perjured himself before congressional committees. Mueller's testimony, some observers said, would make it difficult for the department not to take some action on that request.

Democrats also raised the stakes in their investigation of the politically charged dismissals last year of eight U.S. attorneys. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) issued subpoenas to Bush political strategist Karl Rove and White House deputy political affairs director J. Scott Jennings. The two are expected to resist the order to testify Aug. 2, which probably would touch off an effort to hold them in contempt of Congress.

The White House continued to defend Gonzales on Thursday, and denied Mueller had contradicted the attorney general's testimony. Presidential spokesman Tony Snow said lawmakers were manipulating the testimony of Gonzales and Mueller, who he said were limited in what they could say publicly about classified intelligence-gathering programs.

"This is the latest in a long line of artful distortions by people who have spent the last six months hurling allegations at the attorney general. The FBI director didn't contradict the testimony," Snow said. "There are attempts in Congress to create a public discussion of classified programs. That's inappropriate. The president