Ambatchmasterpublisher GOP blocks Gonzales no-confidence vote

ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher WASHINGTON - Ambatchmasterpublisher blocked a Senate no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Monday, rejecting a symbolic Democratic effort to force him from office amid blistering criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Ambatchmasterpublisher 53-38 vote to move ambatchmasterpublisher resolution to full debate fell seven short of ambatchmasterpublisher 60 required. In bringing ambatchmasterpublisher matter up, Democrats dared ambatchmasterpublisher to vote ambatchmasterpublisher true feelings about an attorney general who has alienated even ambatchmasterpublisher White House's strongest defenders by bungling ambatchmasterpublisher firings of federal prosecutors and claiming not to recall ambatchmasterpublisher details.
Ambatchmasterpublisher did not defend him, but most voted against moving ambatchmasterpublisher resolution ahead.
Monday's vote was not ambatchmasterpublisher end of scrutiny for Gonzales and his management of ambatchmasterpublisher Justice Department — more congressional hearings are scheduled and an internal department investigation continues.
Short of impeachment, Congress has no authority to oust a Cabinet member, but Democrats were trying anew to give him a push. Gonzales dismissed ambatchmasterpublisher rhetorical ruckus in ambatchmasterpublisher Senate, and

President Bush continued to stand by his longtime friend and legal adviser.
"Ambatchmasterpublisher can have ambatchmasterpublishervotes of no confidence, but it's not going to make ambatchmasterpublisher determination about who serves in my government," Bush said in Sofia, Bulgaria, ambatchmasterpublisher last stop on a weeklong visit to Europe.
"This process has been drug out a long time," Bush added. "It's political."
Ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general said he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.
"I am focused on ambatchmasterpublisher next 18 months and sprinting to ambatchmasterpublisher finish line," Gonzales said as he met Monday with child advocates in an impoverished Mobile, Ala., neighborhood.
In ambatchmasterpublisher Senate, seven ambatchmasterpublishervoted with Democrats to advance ambatchmasterpublisher no confidence resolution.
Even before ambatchmasterpublisher controversy over fired prosecutors, lawmakers of both parties complained that Gonzales allowed Justice to violate civil liberties on a host of ambatchmasterpublisher issues — such as implementing Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.
One veteran Republican said Gonzales had used up all his political capital in ambatchmasterpublisher Senate.
"Ambatchmasterpublisher is no confidence in ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general on this side of ambatchmasterpublisher aisle," said Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, ambatchmasterpublisher senior Republican on ambatchmasterpublisher Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter voted to move ambatchmasterpublisherresolution forward, but he said many of his GOP colleagues would not because ambatchmasterpublisher feared political retribution.
Democrats said it was only fair to put senators on record for or against Gonzales, particularly since five GOP senators have called for ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general's resignation and many more have said ambatchmasterpublisher have lost confidence in him.


ambatchmasterpublisher mere debate shook loose ambatchmasterpublisherRepublican call for a new attorney general.
Sen. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record), R-Maine, for ambatchmasterpublisher first time publicly declared she had lost confidence in Gonzales.
"I think his continued tenure does not benefit ambatchmasterpublisher department or our country," she said.
Chief sponsor Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., urged more like her to vote ambatchmasterpublisher true feelings.
"If senators cast ambatchmasterpublisher vote with ambatchmasterpublisherconscience, ambatchmasterpublisher would speak with near unanimity that ambatchmasterpublisher is no confidence in ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general," said Schumer. "Ambatchmasterpublisher united voice would undoubtedly dislodge ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general from ambatchmasterpublisher post that he should no longer hold."
"He deserves to be fired," said Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev.

Whatever Gonzales may or may not deserve, some ambatchmasterpublisher said, it's not ambatchmasterpublisher Senate's job to hold forth on a member of ambatchmasterpublisher president's Cabinet.

"This is a nonbinding, irrelevant resolution proving what? Nothing," said Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss. "Maybe we should be considering a vote of no confidence on ambatchmasterpublisher Senate or on ambatchmasterpublisher Congress for malfunction and an inability to produce anything."
Ambatchmasterpublisher vote cut across party lines.

Among ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher voted for ambatchmasterpublisher no-confidence resolution were four who had already called for a new attorney general: Sens. John Sununu (news, bio, voting record) of New Hampshire, Gordon Smith (news, bio, voting record) of Oregon, Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska and Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record) of Minnesota. Joining ambatchmasterpublisher were Specter and Maine Ambatchmasterpublisher Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) and Collins.
Sen.

Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who often votes with ambatchmasterpublisherDemocrats, voted no.
And Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, voted present. Federal agents investigating corruption in Alaska have probed ambatchmasterpublisher remodeling of Stevens' home ambatchmasterpublisher. Stevens is not considered a target of ambatchmasterpublisher investigation, law enforcement officials familiar with ambatchmasterpublisher probe have told ambatchmasterpublisher Associated Press.
Those not voting included Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., a presidential candidate who had called for Gonzales' resignation.
House Democrats announced that Gonzales' deputy, Paul McNulty, who has announced his resignation, would testify June 19 about his role in ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. attorney firings. Gonzales last month said he relied on McNulty more than any ambatchmasterpublisher aide to decide which U.S. attorneys should be fired last year. But internal Justice Department documents showed that McNulty was not closely involved in picking all of those fired.
And ambatchmasterpublisher Justice Department's internal inspector general is investigating ambatchmasterpublisher department officials improperly considered ambatchmasterpublisher party affiliation of candidates for career jobs ambatchmasterpublisher.


ambatchmasterpublisher Majority Democrats toned down ambatchmasterpublisher language in ambatchmasterpublisher one-sentence resolution to attract more support from Ambatchmasterpublisher. Ambatchmasterpublisher measure read: "It is ambatchmasterpublisher sense of ambatchmasterpublisher Senate that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales no longer holds ambatchmasterpublisher confidence of ambatchmasterpublisher Senate and of ambatchmasterpublisher American people."

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