Gonzales calls it quits — Will Hatch replace him?

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced Monday he will step down Sept. 17, leaving the lingering question of who will replace him.

Solicitor General Paul Clement will serve as the acting attorney general after Gonzales leaves. But the White House has not indicated when it will nominate his official replacement, who must be confirmed by the Senate.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and its former chairman, has been fighting off rumors that he is next in line for the job.

Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said on "Meet the Press" April 1 that Hatch was "actively running" to be Gonzales' replacement, to which Hatch replied, "Oh come on, Pat." Hatch was re-elected to another six-year Senate term in 2006.

Hatch's office mentions the day of Leahy's statement, April Fool's Day, as something to note when evaluating the comment. But another item to note is that Hatch's former spokesman, Peter Carr, started as the new deputy director of public affairs at the Justice Department last week. Carr insisted his move was not based on the possibility of Hatch taking over as attorney general.

Hatch has repeatedly sided with the Justice Department and Gonzales' role as attorney general. He said in a statement issued Monday that Gonzales "has been the president's strong right arm in fighting terrorists using the tools of law enforcement, and he helped successfully protect the American homeland during his tenure."

"I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable service to his country, rather than for the absurd political theater to which some critics have subjected him," Hatch said in a statement. "He has overseen the Department of Justice's efforts to protect children from Internet predators, to combat human trafficking and to prevent the spread of meth in our communities."

Hatch campaign manager David Hansen said while Hatch would make a good attorney general, "I don't think it is going to happen."

"I don't make the decision on it. This is a decision the president is going to make," Hansen said, adding he had not heard anything from the senator about it and that Hatch is "more valuable to Utah as a senator."

If Hatch were to be nominated and confirmed, someone would need to fill his Senate seat until the next election. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's name has come up as a possibility. Shurtleff said Monday he is "flattered" by the talk but is focusing on his present job. Shurtleff has announced he is running again for the statewide office in 2008.