1115.org

The Senate Democrats have executed a satisfying little maneuver, aimed not just at needling the temper-tantrum White House, but also robbing Alberto Gonzales of some much-needed match practice before he shows up before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 17:

Senate Democrats postponed on Thursday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ first chance to testify in his own defense over the firings of eight federal prosecutors.

The decision to shelve next week’s Senate Appropriations hearing frustrated the White House, which wants Gonzales to quickly give lawmakers his side of the story amid calls for his resignation.

But Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md, said the political firestorm should be resolved before Gonzales talks about the Justice Department’s spending plan for next year.

“It would be very difficult in this environment to give the department’s budget request the attention it deserves until the Senate has examined the department’s leadership failures,” said Mikulski, who heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that had planned to hear from Gonzales on April 12.

The delay means Gonzales won’t appear publicly on Capitol Hill until April 17—which even Republicans are calling a “make or break” performance—to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing into the firings.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto called the delay disappointing. Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said it was regrettable.

“The attorney general has said that he would testify in hearings regarding Department of Justice appropriations, U.S. attorneys, or other issues of interest to the Senate whenever they could be scheduled,” Fratto said.

In case you have trouble recognizing this behavior that has been hitherto unseen from the White House, they’re begging and pleading.