Nothing to hide, Gonzales says

WASHINGTON — Embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he has "nothing to hide" when he testifies Tuesday before Congress about his role in the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

In remarks prepared for the showdown, Gonzales said, "The Justice Department has tried to be forthcoming with the Congress and the American people" by handing over thousands of documents and offering him up.

"I have nothing to hide," Gonzales said. "I am committed to assuring the Congress and the American public that nothing improper occurred here."

But the nation's top lawman said there are a number of cases in which he does not recall what he did. That prompted Sen. Chuck Schumer to scoff at his claim of nothing to hide.

"The opening statement of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales does not advance his cause at all," said Schumer, D-N.Y., hitting Gonzales for "fuzzy recollections."

Several of the fired U.S. attorneys were involved in politically sensitive investigations, and critics allege they were booted because the White House or other Republicans didn't like the way the probes were going.

Schumer, who said the question-and-answer session Tuesday "will be make or break for" Gonzales, was echoed by two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"He's got an uphill struggle to re-establish his credibility with the committee, given prior statements," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on "Fox News Sunday," referring to conflicting remarks from Gonzales.

"The No. 1 question is, is he capable of administering the Department of Justice?" Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on ABC's "This Week."

While Gonzales admitted no wrongdoing, he said he could have treated the fired prosecutors better. "I am sorry for my missteps that have helped to fuel the controversy," he said.