WASHINGTON-
Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo on Tuesday joined other lawmakers calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign, citing “leadership failures” on illegal immigration more than the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
Meanwhile, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, one of only six Democrats to vote for Gonzales’ confirmation, said he was “disappointed” in the embattled attorney general but did not say Gonzales should be dismissed.
Gonzales’ job security has been in question in recent days as members of Congress have demanded to know whether the decision to fire the prosecutors was a Bush administration purge to install political cronies in plum jobs.
Tancredo, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, said in a statement Tuesday that he doesn’t believe Gonzales’ handling of the prosecutors’ firings alone warrants his dismissal.
But “his total mishandling of the affair is simply the latest in a series of leadership failures at the Justice Department,” chiefly his handling of illegal immigration prosecutions, Tancredo said.
“Gonzales’ legacy at the DOJ has been one of misplaced priorities, political miscalculation, and a failure to enforce the laws which he has sworn to uphold,” he said. “I think that it is time for him to move on.”
Tancredo faulted several Justice Department decisions dealing with border crimes, including the prosecution of two border patrol agents for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler and trying to cover it up.
Tancredo said Gonzales should have overturned local and state “sanctuary” policies, which Tancredo said allow people to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation.
Tancredo also said Gonzales should have gotten tough on nations that resist U.S. attempts to return foreigners who have broken U.S. laws.
Salazar was not yet willing to call on Gonzales—whom he considers a friend—to step down. In an interview with The Associated Press, Salazar said he wanted to wait until all the facts are in.
Senators still want several White House officials to testify publicly under oath about their roles in the dismissals.
“We need to make sure the facts are right, and we need to apply a legal standard to the facts,” Salazar said.
Salazar said he particularly wants to know whether the Justice Department was punishing prosecutors for their work on public corruption cases.
He plans to introduce a bill that would make it a crime to pressure U.S. attorneys about their decision to investigate a person on race, religion, sex, national origin, political activities or political beliefs.
