With political adviser Karl Rove and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales both out, Democrats lose two top targets in their investigation of the Bush administration, but a new attorney general nominee could hand them both a bigger stage and more leverage for pressing their case.
Top Democrats yesterday said it remains full-speed ahead as they look into the relationship between Mr. Rove, the Justice Department and the Bush White House on political activities and the fired U.S. attorneys. They also said Mr. Bush’s next nominee could be held up until his administration turns over documents that Democrats seek in myriad investigations.
“I certainly hope that there will be no thought of confirming anybody for attorney general until all the appropriate documents are given to the Judiciary Committee,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat, told The Washington Times.
Mr. Gonzales announced his resignation, effective Sept. 17, yesterday morning — two weeks after Mr. Rove announced he will depart. Many Republicans seemed relieved at Mr. Gonzales’ decision, while some said that not having a target to shoot at will reduce the intensity of the attacks.
“This takes some red meat away from the Democrats, who only sought to use this as a further way to embarrass the administration and to use their majority to thwart the president’s ability to get anything done,” former senior Bush aide Bradley A. Blakeman said.
“It’s hard to beat a dead horse when the horse is no longer there. I think this now gives the president the ability to get beyond another Democratic attempt at delaying and stalling, and investigation after investigation, to eliminate some of these obstacles the Democrats were counting on,” he said.
But Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat and a chief driving force behind his party’s investigations, said this is not the end of the road.
“Look, the investigations will have to continue. There is no question about that,” he told reporters at a press conference in New York, called to discuss Mr. Gonzales’ resignation and what Democrats hope to see in a new attorney general.
“You can’t just say with Attorney General Gonzales, these investigations should be pushed under the rug. But what you can say with a new attorney general — there’ll be cooperation, there’ll be compromise, we can see what happened, put rules and laws into place so it doesn’t happen again and move on,” Mr. Schumer said.
Solicitor General Paul D. Clement will serve as acting attorney general and Mr. Bush can wait up to 210 days before nominating a full-time successor. A White House spokesman yesterday said Mr. Bush will look for a replacement and challenged the Judiciary Committee not to engage in partisan politics on a new nominee.
Mr. Gonzales was confirmed to the slot in 2005 by a 60-36 vote.
With four of the Democratic presidential candidates also serving in the Senate, the battle over the next attorney general is already shaping up to be a political affair, and some of them were already drawing lines yesterday: “I will only vote to confirm a nominee for Attorney General who is truly independent and who will guarantee reforms that restore and uphold the Constitution,” said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, Connecticut Democrat.
That, though, could sink the Democrat-controlled Congress’ ratings even more, said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, who said Democratic probes of Mr. Gonzales haven’t turned up any illegal interference with U.S. attorneys’ duties.
“Rather, his mistake was underestimating the ferocity of relentless partisan attacks and not preparing more to address them. Perhaps because their attention was distracted by 300 other investigations already launched by the Democratic majority, the Justice Department did a very poor job in responding to these spurious charges,” Mr. Cornyn said.
Mr. Gonzales’ resignation ends some of the grounds for attacks, including an effort to have him impeached. But Mr. Nadler said he still must answer to Congress for what many Democrats think may have been perjury in recent testimony, and Mr. Gonzales would join the line of former Justice Department officials who have testified before congressional panels in recent months.
“The fact that you resigned does not mean you can avoid the questions,” Mr. Nadler said.
Democrats think targeting Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Rove can still help them raise money, with the congressional campaign committee sending out a fundraising e-mail yesterday afternoon taking credit for forcing the attorney general to step down and asking for funds to combat “the Karl Rove playbook.”
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