Is Fitzgerald's time up?

Is Fitzgerald's time up?

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald was a bit coy Wednesday when asked if he wants to stay on the job.

"I'm going to just do my job until somebody tells me otherwise," he said. "I love my job. I'm very, very lucky to work with the people behind me. I have no plans to do anything else."

U.S. attorneys traditionally serve about four years.

Fitzgerald has served four years.

But Fitzgerald is not a traditional U.S. attorney.

He is an out-of-towner who has proven he has no sacred cows, indicting former Gov. George Ryan, investigating Mayor Daley's inner circle and bringing an investigation to the door of presidential adviser Karl Rove.

Stepping on big toes like that has led to speculation he'll be shown the door, but others say the bad press the Bush administration would get from moving him out would not be worth it.

How many more years would he like to serve?

"I'm not going to start lobbying for a job," he said. "You always serve at the pleasure and the will of the president. You're not guaranteed four years. You're just told you're very lucky to get a job. You do your job and if someone tells you it no longer serves the pleasure of the president, you pack your bags and you move on.''

Chuckling a little, he added, "I'm just doing my job, and if the phone doesn't ring and someone tells me to leave, I just keep doing my job."