[B]
Administration official leave their posts for the private sector all the time. Thery might blame health reason, or the need to spend more time with their families or time to write a book, etc etc.
Most resignations take place somewhere close to the end of the first term.
Right now, we are about at the 3/4 mark of term one and suddenly, West Wingers have been bailing in fairly rapid order. The latest and most obvious is Ari Fleisher, the Press Secretary. He says he is going to the private sector. I say he was asked to retire because he was just caught in two major lies (the aircraft carrier landing) and his credibility is shot.
Also Environmental chief Christie Whitman has announced her departure. And there have been three or four others within the last month. Too close to be called coincidence, at least in my estimation.
Whatcha think?

I think those who were planning to leave are doing so now, in the lull before the election season. They're doing so because to wait until it's in full swing would be awkward and disruptive. Nothing unusual here, this is the normal rhythm of politics.

OH, (phew) I thought you meant the television program.

Yeah, I noticed it, too. As one of the in-house "conspiracy theorists," I think that it is not coincidental.

I certainly understand why Ari Fleischer is resigning. He has been contradicted so many times by his boss. He recently said, "I want to do something more relaxing--like dismantle live nuclear weapons."

And the Director of the EPA--it's hard to defend the stance that carbon dioxide really isn't harmful when it's emitted from factory smokestacks and still appear credible.

I'm surprised Colin Powell has hung in there as long as he has. He, too, has suffered contradictions and humiliations, like trying to defend the administration's human rights stance to Africans.

It's probably not easy working for this President.

Didn't the president just propose sending 8 billion dollars to Africa for AIDS research?

Actually it is $15 billion and I believe the bill is currently in conference.

Fact Sheet: The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

The resignations are just a political cycle. The "run for re-election" is about to begin and if you aren't willing to be in it until the end, the time to resign would be now.

Nothing unusual here at all. Working for the White House can be absolutely brutal, I don't know how people can do it. My fiance worked in DC as a news EP for a local television station, went to all the social events, has her picture with Bill and Hillary at the White House Christmas Party (we don't display that picture ), the whole nine yards. I've asked her if the TV show "West Wing" is accurate from the standpoint of the hours the characters seem to put in and she told me it sure is. It is a 24/7/365 job, and frankly, highly underpaid. The people who do it, regardless of who is in the White House are real servants to the American people and I thank them for that. It seems that nowdays circumstances have made working directly for the President to be something of a relay race, not a long distance run. People put their lives on hold for a time, perform their service and move on. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Some may want to do something different like go to the private sector like Ari Fliesher is doing or they don't agree with Bush's policies. It's not very unusual

Why Are These Men Laughing?

This Ron Suskind article will keep you busy for a while, but if you hang in there, you'll understand why I think it isn't a coincidence that members of the West Wing are "jumping ship" as referred to in this thread.

Ron Suskind interviewed a well-respected fixture from the George I administration who knows Karl Rove, George W's political strategist, who studied under the late Lee Atwater. The resultant information is unusual and kind of scary. Enjoy!

(Edited for emphasis)

Regarding resignations does anyone find this a little freaky or disturbing?..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3041179.stm


PS........
A light hearted look at historical near misses.
Your President is George II.

During the reign of the English monarch George II ( 1683-1760) colonial and commercial expansion increased dramatically due to his patronage.
Because of his expansionist policies he was at war with France in Europe and America (100 yrs wars) and just about everone else.

Now let us hope he is NOT succeeded by a George III because we all know who 'mad King George' couldn't be bothered with and left to their own devices.

Regards.........Alan

Very nice article, Paladin Elspeth. Long but enjoyable and substantive. Thanks!

Rove is a very unique figure and Bush is fortunate to have him, but I'll agree the administration needs a better balance between "strategery" and policy.

Ari Fleishers resignation takes me by complete suprise, when you consider that this administration is the most powerful since Reagan, with serious backing and will be hard to beat in 2004, and Ari is still young.
Although he has had to lie , upon lie upon lie, and skirt and squirm, (as a Press Sec would) I dont think he had to bear too much personal responsability for the constant deciet, noone ever blamed him, although the press laughed, openly and often, I wonder why he would not ride the ride, in the middle of what would normally be seen as great success and future successes in good old propaganda.

Then again, in my opinion he was so barely beliveable and utterly ludicrous, perhaps his sense of reality got the better of him and he decided to bail before he began to be considered a stand up comedian to the likes of Bagdad Bob.

Christine Todd Whitman just resigned too, of course.

The message is out: if you want out, get out now. Otherwise, you stay with us through the election.

Staying only makes sense if you believe your side wins the election.

And there are good reasons to believe that the American public has had enough of the lies, of the manipulative, exclusionary, punitive agenda, and with the outright refusal to respond to the will of the American public.

At least I hope so, for the sake of our future.