It hasn't happened yet despite the fact that Alberto Gonzales is clearly not up to the job and has used his position for nefarious purposes, but will the Attorney General finally leave his positions? Paul Bedard of US News is hearing that it's a possibility.

The buzz among top Bushies is that beleaguered Attorney General Alberto Gonzales finally plans to depart and will be replaced by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Why Chertoff? Officials say he's got fans on Capitol Hill, is untouched by the Justice prosecutor scandal, and has more experience than Gonzales did, having served as a federal judge and assistant attorney general.

Clearly, someone as able as Chertoff, who oversaw the preparations for and response to Hurricane Katrina, led the effort to rewrite federal immigration law, and who apparently bases assessments of terrorist threats on "gut feeling[s]", would be a fine replacement for Gonzales as Attorney General, right? Oy. It almost -- almost -- makes you wish Gonzales stuck around through the end of Bush's presidency...