Nevada’s Porter wants Gonzales out

Saturday, April 21, 2007 | 7:09 a.m.

WASHINGTON - Nevada Rep. Jon Porter added his name Friday to the short but growing list of Republican lawmakers calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign.

Porter said the Justice Department had "egregiously mishandled" the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, including Nevada's Daniel Bogden. He said Gonzales' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday failed to resolve questions about the firings.

"Gonzales has become a distraction and as a result has lost the confidence of the American public," Porter said in a statement Friday.

Despite widespread dissatisfaction among Republicans with Gonzales' performance, few have called for his dismissal.

Porter said he made up his mind after Gonzales' testimony, in which the Harvard-trained lawyer repeatedly said he could not recall how the eight prosecutors were chosen to be fired last year, but also said he believed it was the right decision.

The appearance was billed by many in Washington as a make-or-break performance by Gonzales. Without clear rational for the dismissals, many Democrats and some Republicans believe the attorneys were ousted for political reasons.

Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign has expressed displeasure with Bogden's dismissal and Gonzales' shifting explanations for it, but he has stopped short of calling for the attorney general's resignation. Ensign said his support for Gonzales hinges on efforts to restore Bogden's reputation.

Porter is a three-term congressman from an almost evenly split Southern Nevada district. He narrowly won reelection last year, defeating an opponent who accused him of voting in lockstep with the Bush administration.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Friday that President Bush has full confidence in Gonzales. "He has done a fantastic job at the Department of Justice," she said.

Nevada's other Republican congressman, Dean Heller, could not be reached for comment.

Nevada's two Democratic members of Congress, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley, have demanded that Gonzales resign.