Inhofe Blames Partisanship For Gonzales' Resignation

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Sen. Jim Inhofe on Monday blamed partisanship for the decision by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to submit his resignation. Gonzales, the nation's first Hispanic attorney

Monday, August 27th 2007, 5:36 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Sen. Jim Inhofe on Monday blamed partisanship for the decision by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to submit his resignation. Gonzales, the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, had been in a long standoff with congressional critics over his honesty and competence.

Republicans and Democrats alike had demanded his departure over the botched handling of FBI terror investigations and the firings of U.S. attorneys, but President Bush had defiantly stood by his Texas friend for months until accepting his resignation.

Inhofe stood by Gonzales and the president. Saying he disagreed with Gonzales on some issues, Inhofe said he appreciated his service to the country and wished him well.

"Though he is a man of strong character and has served faithfully at the behest of the President, Alberto Gonzales' effectiveness as Attorney General has been compromised by intense partisanship and the ongoing controversy surrounding the firing of the U.S. attorneys," Inhofe said in a statement.

Bush said Gonzales' name was "dragged through the mud for political reasons."