WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Dismissing a call from Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to resign, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he is "going to stay focused on doing my job."

If Gonzales hoped getting out of Washington may divert attention from the controversy over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year, he was wrong. He was peppered Thursday with questions about it during a press conference in Rochester, New York in which he announced new grants to four cities to help them combat gang violence.

During an appearance Wednesday on CNN's Larry King Live, McCain said he was disappointed in Gonzales' performance regarding the firing of the prosecutors. Asked whether he thought the attorney general should leave, McCain said, "I think out of loyalty to the president that -- that that would probably be the best thing that he could do."

Reacting to McCain's call, Gonzales said, "The President expects me ... to stay on as Attorney General and do what I am doing today which is to try to work with the American people, work with state and local officials, and that is what is really important. We are doing what the American people expect which is to serve the communities. And we are, I am, I am going to stay focused on that."

Gonzales maintained he can still be effective in his job disagreeing with a number of members of Congress who have said he cannot be.

"Obviously we will continue to work with the Congress. That is important as well, but I can't lose sight of the fact I am the chief law enforcement officer of the country and there are needs within communities like this one all across the country, and I have an obligation to insure that, that we do everything we can to meet those needs," Gonzales said.

People close to Gonzales insist he is focused and fully engaged in his work and the issues on his agenda. Besides focusing on the rise in violent crime in some cities and the related problem of gang violence, Gonzales is expected to travel to some cities as part of the White House's initiative to study what lessons may be learned from the Virginia Tech shooting massacre.

Gonzales will not be able to completely put the U.S. Attorneys issue behind him. He is scheduled to appear May 10 before a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

-- CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn