Ashcroft, Evans Resign From Bush Cabinet

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites), a favorite of conservatives, and Commerce Secretary Don Evans, one of President Bush (news - web sites)'s closest friends, resigned Tuesday, the first members of the Cabinet to leave as Bush heads from re-election into his second term. Both Ashcroft and Evans have served in Bush's Cabinet from the start of the administration. Ashcroft, in a five-page, handwritten letter to Bush, said, "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." "Yet I believe that the Department of Justice (news - web sites) would be well served by new leadership and fresh inspiration," said Ashcroft...

Let's see... how many people did he prosecute successfully in the war against terror? Zero. Yes we were well served by you.

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Senator Gregg suddenly rediscovers his conservative roots and decides that he wouldn't be a "good fit" in the Obama administration. Who knew so much could change in the matter of a week?

GREGG: the president has been incredibly gracious. And none of this decision is related at all and in any way to his willingness to include diversity of thought and initiative within his cabinet. Just the opposite. He has been a person who has reached out -- and aggressively reached out across the aisle. And I immensely respect that and I immensely respect him. I know he's going to be a strong and effective and good president.

But for me, I just realized, as these issues started to come at us, that -- and they started to crystallize, that it really wasn't a good fit. You know, I wouldn't be comfortable doing this and that it wouldn't be fair to him to be part of a team and not be able to be 100 percent on the team.

So with that in mind, I said I'm going to withdraw from this process. And I realize that to withdraw at this point is really unfair, in many ways. But to go forward and take this position and then find myself sitting there and not being able to do the job the way it should be done on behalf of the president -- 100 percent -- that would have been an even bigger mistake.

You also have to wonder if it might not have something to do with that Abramoff connection and how Tom Daschle had to stand down as well. Though it would have been funny to watch Republicans restrain themselves from attacking Obama by proxy through Gregg.

Full transcript below the fold:

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While playing tribute to his political hero Abraham Lincoln last night, President Obama took a humorous, subtle dig at Judd Gregg for withdrawing as his Commerce Secretary nominee.

“In 1854, Lincoln was simply a Springfield Lawyer. He’d served just a single term in Congress. Possibly in his law office, his feet on a cluttered desk, his sons playing around him, his clothes a bit to small to fit his uncommon frame...maybe wondering if someone might call him up and offer to be Commerce Secretary."

That was quick.

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has withdrawn his nomination to become President Barack Obama's commerce secretary.

In a statement released by his office, the New Hampshire senator cites "irresolvable conflicts" on issues including the economic stimulus package.

Gregg was named the Commerce nominee a week ago after the withdrawal of former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Read Gregg's full statement here.

Politico is reporting that the WH is "blindsided" by the news:

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg abruptly withdrew his nomination as President Barack Obama’s commerce secretary Thursday, telling Politico that he “couldn’t be Judd Gregg" and serve in the Cabinet.

The harsh response from a White House caught off guard: Gregg was the one who asked for the job – and he repeatedly promised that, “despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the president’s agenda.”

White House aides described themselves as “blindsided” by what White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs described as Gregg’s change of heart.”

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With New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg's nomination today, President Obama has matched Teddy Roosevelt for the most bipartisan cabinet in American history.

MSNBC:

President Barack Obama has nominated Republican Sen. Judd Gregg to be Commerce secretary.

Obama announced the nomination at the White House.

If confirmed, Gregg would be the third Republican in the Democrat's Cabinet, joining Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

It was the last open spot in the senior ranks of the Obama administration.

While the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting it as about to happen, CBS is reporting that it is a done deal and that Zoellick got the nod:

The top contenders include former US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, 53, and US Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt, 59, according to Republican sources, with Zoellick seen as the stronger candidate.

Among other names that have been mentioned are Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, 63; former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, 79; and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, 53, although Republican sources say Fischer and Volcker seem unlikely. Another possibility, former Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Frist, has said he does not want the job.

I guess we should thank the deity of your choice that Frist declined the position. Zoellick has had a tumultuous relationship with the Bush Administration, although I don't think you can consider him anything but a Bushie. Zoellick's nomination is being lauded both internally at the World Bank and by other nations. However, given Bush's penchant to choose loyalty over competence, I'll wait to see what comes up in research on him.

Jay Rosen has a great take on Novak. He clearly highlights the 6/29 Ed Henry segment on "Inside Politics" which I felt was an important piece of information also. ( Of course Jay does a wonderful job of analyzing it )

I've posted it a few times, but watch it now with Jay's analysis.

The NY Times follows up with the Rove-Novak 92' connection: "In 1992 in an incident well known in Texas, Mr. Rove was fired from the state campaign to re-elect the first President Bush on suspicions that Mr. Rove had leaked damaging information to Mr. Novak about Robert Mosbacher Jr., the campaign manager and the son of a former commerce secretary."

The article describes their friendship through the years and shows how leaking information is nothing new for Karl.