Were More Prosecutors On Chopping Block?

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Gonzales told Congress last week that the department's effort was limited to eight U.S. attorneys dismissed since last June; other Bush administration officials have said just a few other prosecutors were suggested for removal.

But the Post, citing "sources familiar with documents withheld from the public," said that between February 2005 and December 2006, more than two dozen prosecutors – more than one quarter of the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys – were mentioned as candidates for firing on lists compiled by Gonzales' former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson.

The lists include nine prosecutors who were fired in 2006, others who resigned and 13 who remain in their posts today. Some of those still on the job, apparently, were unaware they'd been targeted for dismissal. "Really? I wasn't aware of that," said U.S. Attorney Paula Silsby of Maine, when a reporter told her.

A Justice Department official would not confirm the names on the lists, but said they "reflect Kyle Sampson's thoughts for discussion during the consultation process.''

Democrats charge the firings were politically motivated, while the administration insists they were based on performance or policy disputes.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports on another controversy involving Gonzales, following testimony this week that in his previous job as White House counsel, he pressured former Attorney General John Ashcroft – who was hospitalized at the time – to certify the legality of President Bush's warrant-less domestic eavesdropping program.

Following that revelation, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska joined the ranks of Republicans calling for Gonzales to resign.

Is McCain Physically Fit For The White House?

Is John McCain physically fit to serve as president of the United States? That's the question the Los Angeles Times asks in a front-page story Thursday suggesting that the 70-year-old Republican senator's health – and age – could become a campaign issue.

McCain has "a body and mind with some heavy wear and tear," the Times says, "including a couple of bouts of cancer and the effects of years of torture," as a POW in Vietnam. He would also be oldest person ever elected to enter the White House – and if he served two terms, would leave office at the age of 80.

Of course, McCain isnt the only presidential contender with health concerns. Sen. Joe Biden had two brain aneurysms in 1988, Rudy Giuliani had prostate cancer in 2000, and still-undeclared candidate Fred Thompson had lymphoma. But, the Times says, all are all younger and "haven't experienced McCain's physical and mental agonies."

Still, the McCain campaign insists voters need not worry. Much younger staffers say they have a hard time keeping up with the energetic septuagenarian, and the campaign says it plans to release the results of a recent health exam which McCain passed with flying colors.

$30 Million Men

It's certainly no surprise that the men and women seeking the White House are wealthy – indeed, it's probably the only thing most of them have in common.

But just how rich some of them are may be a surprise. The New York Times reports Thursday on the personal fortunes of two of those contenders, Republican Rudy Giuliani and Democrat John Edwards, whose financial disclosure forms show they are worth a cool $30 million each.

And they're far from the richest candidates in the field. That title, the Times says, belongs to Mitt Romney, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, who is expected to report as much as $350 million in assets.

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