Mar 31, 2007 12:29 pm US/Eastern
Obama: Bush Must Fire Attorney General
TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (CBS) ―
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday accused President Bush of failing to respect the Constitution in respect to the firing of eight federal prosecutors.
The Illinois senator also criticized Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Obama has joined several other Democrats in calling for Gonzales to resign.
"I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution," Obama told an audience at a campaign fundraiser in Tallahassee. "I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer."
Gonzales acknowledged Friday there is confusion about his role in firing the eight U.S. attorneys last fall. His former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, told Congress Thursday that prosecutors put on
a list to be fired got there in part because they were not deemed "loyal Bushies."
During his stop in Florida, Obama held a brief meeting with Democratic lawmakers and then spoke for about three minutes to more than 100 college students who held an impromptu rally outside an IMAX theater where he held his fundraiser.
"I just hope that everyone here has that same sense of urgency that I do," Obama told the students. "I hope the young people in particular use this campaign as a vehicle to get involved and engaged. This is one of those rare moments where we could change history, and those moments don't come that often. So I hope that all of you take advantage of it."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
