Gonzales Refuses to Resign

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said under oath today he had only limited involvement in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys and "did not do anything improper." Testifying before  clearly hostile lawmakers, he spurned calls that he step down, saying, "The moment I believe I can no longer be effective, I will resign."

Gonzales apologized again for "misstatements" he made at press conferences where he claimed he had no involvement in the firings, and insisted that all eight attorneys were fired for apolitical reasons. That didn't stop members of the Senate Judiciary Committee—including several Republicans—from demanding that he resign. (More Alberto Gonzales stories.)