McCain says Bush's Gonzales should resign Thu Apr 26, 10:40 AM ET
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican senator and presidential candidate John McCain (news, bio, voting record), in a break with President George W. Bush, said on Thursday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.
"I believe that he can best serve the president now by resigning," McCain told ABC's "Good Morning America." "I think he's an honorable man, but the presidency is being damaged."
The White House has backed Gonzales throughout the political tempest caused by the firings. It took in stride McCain's call, which echoes others made in recent weeks by many Democrats and some Republicans.
"Obviously, we have good relationships with our friends on (Capitol) Hill and when you have good relationships with people you can have disagreements," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "In this one, I think that the president would respectfully disagree."
McCain, an Arizona senator on a tour formally launching his race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, also has stepped up his criticism of the handling of the Iraq war. He says Bush mismanaged it until embarking on a troop buildup this year that McCain supports.
Bush has rejected calls to fire Gonzales and on Monday said the attorney general's testimony at a stormy congressional hearing last week "increased my confidence" in him.
Bush said Gonzales "broke no laws" in firing the eight federal prosecutors last year despite suspicions the ousters were politically motivated.
Gonzales said he intends to remain the chief U.S. law enforcement officer "as long as I think that I can be effective and the president believes that I should continue." |
