US Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Sunday rejected attempts by the Bush administration to move up the date that US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is scheduled to testify regarding his role in the firings of eight US Attorneys. White House counselor Dan Bartlett urged the US Senate Judiciary Committee to push up Gonzales' testimony from April 17 to next week, but committee chairman Leahy said Gonzales himself chose the mid-April date after declining earlier offered dates, so the schedule would not be changed now.

Meanwhile, comments made by Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) regarding Gonzales' inconsistent explanations of his involvement in the firings did not resound with confidence in the attorney general. McConnell did not express his own backing of Gonzales, but said President Bush has confidence in Gonzales "at the moment."