WASHINGTON, April 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has "lost the trust of the American people" and should resign, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday.
In a brief statement, the California Democrat said Gonzales' testimony Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee did more damage to his credibility. He attempted to defend the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, while continuing to admit that the dismissals were not handled well.
Also Friday, CNN reported that sources in the White House were not pleased with Gonzales' testimony. One administration source said the attorney general is "going down in flames."
Several White House insiders told CNN things didn't go well for Gonzales, who acknowledged the lawyers "deserve better from me and the Department of Justice, which they served for many years."
In front of reporters, however, White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino said U.S. President George W. Bush fully backed Gonzales, and that Bush was "pleased with the attorney general's testimony today."
Republican as well as Democratic senators grilled Gonzales. Some analysts say Republicans in the Senate and in the White House hope Gonzales' resignation would deflect public attention from the story, protecting Karl Rove, Bush's chief political adviser.
