I t's hard to see how Alberto Gonzalez survives, what with the almost complete repudiation of his various defenses by the calm, cool and collected testimony of his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson . The only way out when you can't just quit and your boss isn't going to fire you is to have to resign. To be noble. To protect the kids! There may not have been the Alexander Butterfield moment Chris Matthews predicted, but Sampson's demeanor hearkened back to that previously faceless bureaucrat, whose testimony to the Senate Watergate Committee about bugging devices in the Oval Office quickly altered history. And it also seemed reminiscent of John Dean 's appearance in the same forum, although, chief of staff, you are no John Dean. Gonzales, who, unless he chooses to do another interview, or step down, is next scheduled to face the subject of how eight US attorneys got the axe on April 17. Support by President Bush (the only support that matters) seems perfunctory ...