Americans have had their share of public trust issues lately. But then again, the Bush administration tends to leave one feeling, well, untrusting.

While the Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial recently ended in a guilty verdict, it hardly left the public with a sense of closure. Was Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, acting on orders given by his boss and Karl Rove to blow the cover of CIA officer Valerie Plame? Libby was ultimately convicted of perjury and lying to FBI agents. But for whom was he lying?

As if such questions weren't troubling enough, a new antagonist has emerged: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Different plot, same administration.

The mass firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year were suspect, but Gonzales assured the public that the whole thing was just an "overblown personnel matter."

Now Gonzales has changed his tune, in large part, no doubt, because of e-mails that have emerged showing that his chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, had been working with former White House counsel Harriet Miers for more than a year on the firings. The administration apparently pressured federal prosecutors to investigate Democrats on accusations such as voter fraud. The problem was, the prosecutors found the accusations to be false, and their ultimate refusal to pursue the claims may have turned out to be career suicide.

And yet again, the questions emerge: Was Congress improperly interfering in federal investigations? Did Gonzales lie when he said these prosecutors were fired for poor performance, or is he that oblivious to the backdoor deals going on under his watch? It's hard to say what's worse.

Confidence is hard to come by when checks and balances aren't in play. If the administration wants to regain public trust, it must put an end to all the questions — and begin with some accountability.