US: Heat on Gonzales

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' professional reputation and standing with lawmakers will take another hit next week -- but he may still hang on to his job. There may be an ongoing congressional investigation into his dismissal of eight US attorneys, but short of impeachment, only the president can fire him.

The inquiry's findings to date have helped underline how central Gonzales has been to pushing the White House's legal priorities -- especially concerning the 'war on terror'. In the current political environment, his successor would need to be an independent figure with an unimpeachable reputation in order to secure Senate confirmation -- exactly the sort of person the White House would not want poring over Justice Department records.