WASHINGTON — President Bush publicly scolded Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales on Wednesday, saying he was "not happy" about the way the firing of several U.S. attorneys was handled by the Justice Department.
The rare rebuke of one of Bush's closest advisors added to the intensifying debate over whether Gonzales should step aside just two years into his tenure.
Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) on Wednesday became the first Republican to call for the attorney general to step down.
And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) predicted Gonzales would have to resign.
"I don't think he'll last long," Reid said in an interview with Nevada reporters. Asked how long, Reid responded: "Days."
The growing criticism from lawmakers highlighted a potential dilemma for the president involving a long-standing friend and sturdy ally, one who has worked for Bush since his days as Texas governor.
Despite his criticism, the president said he continued to support Gonzales.
"I do have confidence in Atty. Gen. Al Gonzales," Bush told reporters in Mexico. "I talked to him this morning, and we talked about his need to go up to Capitol Hill and make it very clear ... why the Justice Department made the decisions it made....
"And he's right: Mistakes were made. And I'm frankly not happy about it, because there is a lot of confusion over what really has been a customary practice by the presidents" of replacing U.S. attorneys.
Fighting to retain his job, Gonzales appeared on morning talk shows and scheduled meetings with lawmakers and aides on Capitol Hill.
The White House, meanwhile, dispatched Counsel Fred F. Fielding to negotiate ground rules with Democratic leaders seeking documents and testimony from administration officials -- including chief political strategist Karl Rove and former White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers. It remained unclear whether Rove and Miers would appear before Congress.
Damaging documents
The moves followed the release Tuesday of e-mails detailing a two-year effort by Justice Department and White House officials to target several U.S. attorneys for dismissal. The disclosures -- which are at odds with versions of events Gonzales and other officials have offered to lawmakers -- touched off accusations that the administration had misled Congress.
Gonzales acknowledged that mistakes had been made but said he was largely unaware of efforts to fire certain prosecutors. He said he could not be expected to know "every bit of information that passes through the halls" of an organization of 110,000 people.
