http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070314/ap_on_go_pr_wh/gonzales_prosecutors;_ylt=AuGrdw9mJy8Up8ukpVCqo1as0NUEBush upset over flawed attorney firings
By MERRILL HARTSON, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
WASHINGTON -
President Bush said Wednesday he is troubled by the Justice Department's misleading explanations to Congress of why it fired eight U.S. attorneys and expected his attorney general to fix them.
Bush said he stood by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales amid calls for his ouster.
"Mistakes were made. And I'm frankly not happy about them," Bush told reporters at a news conference in Mexico, where he is wrapping up a weeklong trip to Latin America.
"Any time anybody goes up to Capitol Hill, they've got to make sure they fully understand the facts and how they characterize the issue to members of Congress," Bush said. "And the fact that both Republicans and Democrats feel like that there was not straightforward communication troubles me and it troubles the attorney general. So he took action, and he needs to continue to take action."
The president called the actual firings "entirely appropriate" and noted that U.S attorneys serve at his pleasure. "Past administrations have removed U.S. attorneys. It's their right to do so," Bush said.
Critics have said the firings appeared to be politically motivated, and some of the prosecutors who were dismissed in a Dec. 7 purge said they felt pressure by Republican lawmakers to investigate more Democrats in the months leading up to elections.
Bush said he did receive complaints about U.S. attorneys, and recalled a congressional visit when senators "were talking about U.S. attorneys." He said he did not remember any specific names of prosecutors mentioned. :eyes:
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