Alberto R. Gonzales’s testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys “increased my confidence in his ability to do the job,” President Bush said yesterday. Maybe that’s because he didn’t actually watch the testimony — he was on the road that day.

In fact, Mr. Gonzales’s testimony was anything but reassuring about his capacity to lead the department. He emerged, once again, as a negligent manager, scarcely aware of the major personnel moves his department was about to make in the president’s name.