US President George W. Bush on Monday denounced Senate plans for a no-confidence vote in his embattled attorney general, saying that Alberto Gonzales "has done nothing wrong."
"He has got my confidence. He has done nothing wrong," said Bush, who has come under mounting pressure even from his fellow Republicans to dump Gonzales. "There has been no wrongdoing on his part."
"I, frankly, view what's taking place in Washington today as pure political theater. And it is this kind of political theater that has caused the American people to lose confidence in how Washington operates," said Bush.
The extremely rare, symbolic vote pushed by Democratic senators could come this week, and may land another heavy blow on a White House already reeling from the unpopular war in Iraq.
Gonzales, the country's top law enforcement officer, faces calls to resign over allegations he fired federal prosecutors last year for purely political reasons to benefit Bush's Republican party. He has denied the charges.
"I stand by Al Gonzales, and I would hope that people would be more sober in how they address these important issues. And they ought to get the job done of passing legislation, as opposed to figuring how to be actors on the political theater stage," Bush said.
The US Justice Department, which Gonzales helms, has offered several explanations for the mass firings, and the attorney general himself angered lawmakers by repeatedly insisting in testimony that he "can't recall" key aspects of the purge and his role in it.
While carrying no legal weight, the Senate measure has the possible backing of several Republicans and one key lawmaker spoke Sunday of "the likelihood of a very substantial vote of no-confidence" against Gonzales.
"You already have six Republicans calling for his resignation," Republican Senator Arlen Specter said on CBS television.
