Not Looking Good for Abu G

McClatchy:

WASHINGTON - The White House began floating the names of possible replacements for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Monday as the Justice Department prepared to release more internal documents related the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

Support for Gonzales appears to be collapsing under the weight of questions about his truthfulness and his management ability. White House spokesman Tony Snow offered a tepid defense when asked if Gonzales would stay on the job until the end of President Bush's term.

"We hope so," Snow said. "None of us knows what's going to happen to us over the next 21 months."

A Republican source, who had earlier predicted that Gonzales would survive the controversy, said he expected both Gonzales and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty to resign soon. Another well-connected Republican said White House officials had launched an aggressive search for Gonzales' replacement, though Bush had not decided whether to ask for his resignation.