There was some dramatic testimony on the hill this week concerning Gonzales' role in re-approving Bush's no-warrant wiretapping program and his later attempts to prevent people from testifying to the real story behind it. See stories here and here at Salon.com for details.
Despite Gonzales efforts, Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey went ahead with his testimony this week, and told Senators that he thought Bush's no-warrant wiretapping program was so questionable that he refused to reauthorize it-- leading to a standoff with White House officials at the bedside of John Ashcroft. Back in March 2004, Comey was "acting" AG because Ashcroft had just fallen ill with pancreatitus and was in the hospital.
Alberto Gonzales (then White House counsel) and Chief of Staff Andrew Card quickly staged a dramatic confrontation at Ashcroft's sickbed in the intensive care unit at GW Hospital (According to some sources, Bush personally called Ashcroft's wife to arrange for the visit). Comey got wind of it and arrived before Gonzales and Card had a chance to grill the ailing Attorney General. In front of a room full of White House and DOJ officials, Ashcroft lifted his head from the pillow, explained why he was against the program, and pointed out that Comey, not he, held the powers of the Attorney General at that moment. Gonzales and Card stormed out of the hospital room. Comey told the Senate Judiciary committee, "I was angry-- I thought I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man who did not have the powers of the Attorney General."
The White House went ahead and re-certified the program without DOJ approval, allowing it to operate anyway. Comey, Ashcroft, and FBI Director Mueller told Bush that they were ready to resign over the matter. After three weeks of wrangling, Bush himself stepped in and brokered changes to the program to address DOJ concerns.
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