Alberto Gonzales really is a national embarrassment. Even Arlen Specter displays a sneering contempt for the man. And that was before Gonzales began today's soft-shoe shuffle in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

How many U.S. Attorneys has he fired? He's not sure.

Why is he the man to fix the department he broke? That's a good question, he admits.

Why didn't the President's new executive order on torture specifically ban waterboarding? "[S]ome acts are clearly beyond the pale, and that everyone would agree should be prohibited," he testified. "There are certain other activities where it is not so clear, Senator."

And so on.

We have ongoing coverage of the hearing at TPMmuckraker.