In support of her desire to hold a vote on the US Senate’s no-confidence resolution on US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in her remarks on the Senate floor minutes ago singled out US Atty Stephen Biskupic (Eastern District of Wisconsin) for his conduct on the issue of voting fraud as an example of the politicalization of the US Department of Justice.

"Steve Buskupic, U.S. attorney in Wisconsin, who was put on a list to be fired, and his district was the focus of a document sent over from the White House for investigation that provided information on Milwaukee voting trends." 

These are just examples of U.S. attorneys who were fired or considered to be fired because of their involvement in election fraud cases. Other U.S. attorneys who were fired were involved with sensitive public corruption cases." said Feinstein. 

Among other dubious conduct of called into question recently, Stephen Biskupic reached out of his district (the Eastern Dist. of Wisconsin) into the city of Madison (a liberal stronghold in the Western Dist. of Wisconsin) in 2005 in the search for voter fraud and requested the city of Madison’s voting rolls, as noted in a Capital Times piece that broke in May .

CNN reports that the no confidence resolution vote on the AG would be the first in some 120 years.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KT) is reportedly urging a “no” vote from fellow Republican senators as a face-saving measure for President Bush.

At a press conference moments ago, Feinstein called on the Senate to hold the no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that Republicans are attempting to block.

“I join with Sen. Schumer in saying I think the time has come for the Senate to express its will. And that will is simply to say that we lack confidence in Attorney General Gonzales. I don’t like saying this. I very much regret saying it. I want to say exactly the opposite. But in view of what I know, I can’t,” said Feinstein.

Update: Senate Republicans Block Vote on AG Gonzales

 Senate Republicans blocked the Senate from voting on a no-confidence resolution on Attorney Gonzales 38-53, with one senator voting present. Sixty affirmative votes were needed to advance the resolution to a vote, falling seven votes short. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that if all senators voted their conscience on the abilities and their confidence in Gonzales, the vote would be a unanimous no vote of confidence. But partisan republican leaders convinced a sufficient number of Republican senators to vote "no," sparing President Bush an embarrassing political defeat.

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