How much will it take before we’ve seen the last of Gonzo? Today’s tragic performance on the Hill was just the tip of the iceberg perhaps, but I’m not holding my breath that Gonzo is a goner yet. Bush, no doubt will cling desperately to defend his slimey Attorney General, at least for a while longer, regardless of the mounting scandals he has racked up.

Forget about the politicization of the Justice Department. Forget about the falling morale there. Forget about the rise in violent crime in some of our biggest cities. Forget about the events leading up to the U.S. Attorney scandal and the way he has handled the prosecutor purge since. Forget about the Department’s role in allowing warrantless domestic surveillance. Forget about the contorted and contradictory accounts he’s offered before in his own defense.

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales deserves to be fired for his testimony Tuesday alone; for morphing into Jon Lovitz’s famous “pathological liar” character (or maybe just one of the Marx Brothers) as he tried to dodge and duck responsibility before the Senate Judiciary Committee not just for his shameful leadership at Justice but also his shameless role in visiting an ailing John Ashcroft in the hospital to try to strong-arm him into renewing the warrantless surviellance program. Can anyone out there remember a worse, less-inspiring, less confidence-inducing performance on Capitol Hill? I cannot.

No reasonable person watching Gonzales’ tragically comedic performance Tuesday’s on Capitol Hill– especially his miserable exchange with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in late morning– can any longer defend his appalling lack of competence, courage and credibility.

Here’s a clip of Gonzo’s “miserable exchange” with Senator Schumer:

Don’t expect Gonzo to be packing up his desk, regardless of his pitiful testimony today, because as he said today, he “would not leave under a cloud. “I have never been one to quit,” he said.” But regardless of Gonzales smug attitude, members of the Senate from both sides of the aisle pegged it… Gonzo credibility is shot chock full of holes:

“I do not find your testimony credible, candidly,” said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who became visibly angry at several points during his exchanges with Gonzales. “The committee’s going to review your testimony very carefully to see if your credibility has been breached to the point of being actionable.”

Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) told Gonzales bluntly: “I don’t trust you.”

The Gonzo Comedic-Tragedy extraordinaire has been heating up the news and blogosphere most of the day… There’s discussion on Politico, CNN, Raw Story, Think Progress, Gun Toting Liberal, The Sideshow, Anonymous Liberal, TPM, DKos, Newshoggers and MYDD. Check Memeorandum for all the links.

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