WACO, Tex., Aug. 27 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. A senior administration official said he would announce the decision later this morning in Washington.
Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, the official said. His decision was not immediately announced, the official added, until after the president invited him and his wife to lunch at his ranch near here.
Mr. Bush has not yet chosen a replacement but will not leave the position open long, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the resignation had not yet been made public.
Despite intensifying pressure, not to mention the accruing roar from critics on both sides of the aisle, Gonzales has long held firm, refusing to admit any wrongdoing at any time, especially not as pertains to the raft of politically-motivated US attorney firings. The verbal Möbius strips of twisting, false, and oftentimes outright mendacious statements the Attorney General tossed around in sworn testimony before Congress have led some Congressmen to not only raise the question of filing perjury charges, but also start preparing articles of impeachment against him.
And though I follow politics as much as anyone who isn't directly involved in government work--and certainly more than most busy mamas I know--I must admit, this development caught me completely off-guard, just as Rove's resignation did. As Minstrel Boy is fond of saying, when the wrecked ship begins to take on water, follow the rats.
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