WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, told CNN Monday he thinks it's time Attorney Gen. Alberto Gonzales resign for his actions in the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

"I think the time has come based on the information over the weekend and this kind of information that the attorney general really needs to step aside," Dodd, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"This story is only going to get worse," he added. "Seems to me the quicker they can clean this up and restore the American people's confidence in the Justice Department and the job these U.S. attorneys are doing ,the better off everyone will be."

Dodd also brushed aside the possibility of initiating articles of impeachment against President Bush -- an action Nebraska GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel has said that some in Congress might consider.

"I don't want to see us jump to this right now -- it seems this is getting ahead of ourselves," he said. "There have been calls already. Various people have raised that as a suggestion here. I'd rather see us trying to resolve some of these outstanding issues we have here."

-- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney