One administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in discussing personnel issues, said the spate of firings was the result of "pressure from people who make personnel decisions outside of Justice who wanted to make some things happen in these places." Washington Post, February 4

Suppose the firings were truly old fashioned politics and the Bush Administration decided to exercise its legal right to remove sitting US Attorneys to appease people “outside of Justice” by placing party loyalists into these resume-enhancing positions. Why then, did the Administration choose to fire sitting US Attorneys, rather than appoint individuals to any of the then current openings? The following list includes some of the Districts that did not have a presidentially nominated U.S. Attorney when the phone calls were made December 7 to fire six U.S. Attorneys.

1. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles T. Miller of the Southern District of West Virginia became the Acting U.S. attorney when Kasey Warner resigned suddenly August 2, 2005. Mr. Miller's 210 day term expired under the Vacancies Reform Act in February 2006. He was then appointed by Attorney General Gonzales to be the Interim U.S. Attorney. Miller continues to serve as Interim and can do so indefinately under the changes made in the Patriot Reauthorization Act of 2005.
2. The Eastern District of Tennessee has been without a presidentially nominated U.S. Attorney since October 24, 2005 when Harry Mattice became United States District Judge for the district. James R. "Russ" Dedrick became Acting US Attorney following Mattice’s departure in 2005 and remains Interim U.S. Attorney for the district. No presidential nomination for this district has been submitted.
3. The Southern District of Illinois has been without a presidentially nominated U.S. Attorney since Ronald Tenpas left to become Associate Deputy Attorney General in the DOJ on November 21, 2005. Edward McNally had a high profile 120-day interim term and was replaced by Randy Massey on March 21, 2006 who remains there as the acting U.S. attorney. The president nominated Phillip Green to replace Tenpas on June 9 but the nomination was returned when the 109th Congress adjourned in December 2006. The president has not resubmitted Mr. Green's nomination as of this date.
4. Todd Graves resigned from the Western District of Missouri on March 24, 2006. Bradley Schlozman was the first Attorney General appointment made by Gonzales on March 24, 2006 to fill a vacancy under the changes to the interim appointment that were signed into law March 9, 2006. John Woods was nominated by the president to replace Graves on January 16, 2007.
5. The Middle District of Tennessee has been without a presidentially nominated U.S. Attorney since James Vines departure on October 1, 2006. Craig Morford, formerly First Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Ohio, was appointed by Attorney General Gonzales on October 2, 2006. Ed Yarbrough, a Nashville criminal defense attorney, was reported to be under consideration for the nomination in October 2006, but to date, no announcement has been made.

So, if the Administration was looking for positions to place valued loyalists, there were multiple open districts. Some vacant for more than a year.