From the Tribune:

Fitzgerald steers clear of U.S. attorneys flap

By Matt O'Connor
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 22, 2007, 7:39 PM CDT

U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald on Thursday carefully sidestepped the political firestorm over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys but conceded he's been the butt of ribbing from friends over a mediocre rating from the Justice Department.

"Look, it really is not that big a deal to me," Fitzgerald said at a news conference announcing the latest public corruption indictment under his leadership. "I just do my job."

A Washington Post story earlier this week said Fitzgerald had been ranked as undistinguished on a Justice Department chart sent to the White House in March 2005.

The rating appeared to be more about his perceived loyalty to the Bush administration than a judgment of his performance.

At the time, Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney in Chicago since shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had taken on the added responsibility of leading a probe in Washington into the White House leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plume.

Fitzgerald earlier this month won a perjury conviction related to that case against Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

In his first public appearance in Chicago since the Libby trial, Fitzgerald noted that he had just left "the D.C. fishbowl" and declined to reveal his views on the firings of the eight U.S. attorneys amid allegations of improper political interference.

"I'm going to let that sort itself out in D.C.," Fitzgerald said. "Obviously there are some important issues to be resolved. I'm not going to wade into it. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to do so."

Pressed further, Fitzgerald said the most important thing he and other U.S. attorneys can do "is to plow ahead and keep doing our work."

A reporter tried one last stab, asking if Fitzgerald thought Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales would be fired.

"There's no way I'm putting one toe in that pool and not going head-first," Fitzgerald said, "so I'm just keeping the toe out of the pool and just not going there."

He was a bit more forthcoming on his undistinguished rating by Gonzales' chief of staff, who resigned last week.

He said he hadn't discussed the matter with anyone at the Justice Department but made it clear he had been kidded plenty.

James Comey, a close friend and a former deputy attorney general who appointed Fitzgerald special counsel in the leak probe, agreed that it has been "the source of great merriment" among Fitzgerald's friends.

"I called him when it came out, and he said 'I'm just an average guy having an average day,'" Comey said. "He just laughed about it. It doesn't require its own rebuttal. It's sort of like saying, 'Derek Jeter is an average shortstop.'"

Fitzgerald acknowledged having some fun with the mediocre grade himself but chose to keep his jokes private.

"You think you've done a good job or a lousy job?" a reporter asked.

"I think I've done the best job I can, and that's all I expect myself to do," Fitzgerald said.