Washington - US President George W Bush said Monday he was more confident than ever in his embattled attorney general, even though some members of his own Republican Party want him to quit.Alberto Gonzales, a longtime Bush protege who is the top US law enforcement officer, faced hostile questioning in the Senate last week about his role in the firing of eight federal prosecutors.Democrats, who hold the majority in both houses of Congress, allege the dismissals interfered with prosecutions to the benefit of Republicans, a charge the Bush administration denies.'The attorney general went up and gave a very candid assessment and answered every question he could possibly answer - honestly answer. And in a way that increased my confidence in his ability to do his job,' Bush told reporters Monday. Yet Congressional Republicans are upset at Gonzales' bumbling public handling of the scandal, his shifting explanations of his role and his insistence that he left details to subordinates. One Republican senator at Friday's hearing urged Gonzales to resign.Commentators ridiculed Gonzales for his Senate testimony, in which he claimed dozens of times that he had forgotten details of the dismissals, including a key meeting in December.US presidents have the power to hire and fire federal prosecutors, a fact Bush underscored Monday. But the administration's decision to dismiss eight US attorneys last year in mid-term - and evidence suggesting political pressure was involved - has prompted the Democratic-led Congress to investigate.