Also, the ongoing Congressional investigation is nothing more than partisan "criticism."

Here are a few highlights. I don't know what Salon's rules are about posting links in comments, so I haven't included one here, but I encourage you to read the whole thing on the AP's website; it's pretty unbelievable -- particularly the stuff about the supposedly stark contrast between the House and Senate hearings. (Note also that this article never makes clear that the reason "served up few new facts about the firings" is that the witness refused to answer any of the questions he was asked. Basically, the content of this hearing is completely absent from this article.) The story was accompanied, in most markets, with an AP video headlined: "Gonzales testifies with new confidence."

GONZALES DEFLECTS DEMOCRATS' CRITICISM

Lara Lakes Jordan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confidently deflected House Democrats' demands Thursday for details in the firings of U.S. attorneys, appearing ever more likely to survive accusations that the dismissals were politically motivated.

. . .

The mostly muted five-hour hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee was a sharp contrast to Gonzales' sometimes testy appearance three weeks ago when Senate Republicans questioned his competence to run the Justice Department. One senator at that session joined a small GOP chorus saying he should step down.

"I will work as hard as I can, working with this committee and working with DOJ employees, to reassure the American people that this department is focused on doing its job," Gonzales said Thursday.

That did not satisfy exasperated Democrats, who accused Gonzales of being evasive.

"Your reputation is on the line, Mr. Attorney General. What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., adding that the "buck stops at the top."

"I accept responsibility," Gonzales answered.

President Bush steadfastly has stood by Gonzales, his longtime counselor and friend. Even career Justice Department staffers angered by the attorney general's response to the firings acknowledge Gonzales appears to have beaten back calls to leave.

. . .

Republicans sought to portray the controversy as losing steam. They pushed Democrats to wrap up the congressional probe that has dogged the department since the beginning of the year.

"The list of accusations has mushroomed, but the evidence of wrongdoing has not," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, top Republican on the committee. "If there are no fish in this lake, we should reel in our lines of questions, dock our empty boat and turn to more pressing issues."

. . .

On the other side, GOP Rep. James Sensenbrenner leaned on Gonzales on Thursday to speed the department's corruption investigation of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana.

"Congressman, you know I cannot talk about that," Gonzales told Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.

"Well, everybody's talking about it except you," Sensenbrenner answered. "The people's confidence in your department has been further eroded, separate and apart from the U.S. attorney controversy, because of the delay in dealing with this matter."

The House committee also released a portion of closed-door testimony from Sampson suggesting that the Justice Department spared U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic in Milwaukee to avoid angering Sensenbrenner.

Thursday's hearing served up more political bickering but few new facts about the firings.

At one point, as many as nine Capitol Police officers escorted a half-dozen protesters from the room out of concern they would disrupt the hearing.