As Libby investigator, he successfully kept Rove, Cheney and Bush out of court, out of the witness chair.

He's got an independent reputation even though he saves a lot of Whitehouse asses.

I ask this question assuming that Gonzales is toast.

Having taken the blame, having assumed responsibility, Gonzales will, like those who have "taken responsibility" before him, like the generals at Walter Reed, be gone within a week.

Personally, I am not happy with the way Fitzgerald ran the case. He let the real perpetrators off.

But he has the chimera of a clean, straight shooting prosecutor. He will pass muster with the Democrats. And who knows, he might actually really be a strong AG, independent enough to actually investigate some of the real crap that has been perpetrated.

Maybe it won't be Fitzgerald. But with the Dems controlling congress, there's a chance that a real prosecutor, a real career person who is committed to the law and justice will be appointed to the AG job. That's bad news for the Bush administration.

Will it happen, or will the Dems allow Bush to appoint another Roberts or Alito type?

Gonzales will be gone in the next week or two. Whoever Bush appoints better be a real lawyer, not a parisan hack, like most of the people Bush has appointed. The partisan Bush Hack era should be over by now.