More Purgegate

Charges may result from firings, say two former U.S. attorneys:

"Two former U.S. attorneys said today they believe ongoing investigations into the dismissals last year of eight federal prosecutors could result in criminal charges against senior Justice Department officials.

John McKay, the former U.S. attorney for Western Washington, and David Iglesias, the former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, also said they believe White House political operative Karl Rove and his aides instigated the dismissals and ultimately decided who among the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys should be fired. But the White House on Wednesday flatly denied the firings were instigated by the White House."

Daily Kos also points outs that John McKay said that Gonzales' "first speech to us was a 'you work for the White House' speech," McKay recalled. " 'I work for the White House, you work for the White House.' " This is in conflict with Gonzales' statements during his confirmation hearing: "With the consent of the Senate, I will no longer represent only the White House; I will represent the United States of America and its people." and "And I feel a special obligation, maybe an additional burden coming from the White House to reassure the career people at the department, and to reassure the American people that that I'm not going to politicize the Department of Justice."