Ashcroft, Evans resign from Cabinet
Official: Attorney General will leave when successor confirmed
(CNN) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans have resigned, the White House said Tuesday evening.
Ashcroft's resignation will be effective upon confirmation of his successor, a Justice Department official said.
The White House released their resignation letters Tuesday evening. Ashcroft's was hand-written and dated November 2, the day Bush was re-elected; Evans' was dated Tuesday.
President Bush met with his Cabinet on Thursday and held a news conference later that day. At that time Bush said he had yet to make any decisions about replacements for any people who resigned.
"I don't know who they'll be," he said. "It's inevitable. There'll be some changes. It happens in every administration."
Bush said Thursday that he was proud of every member of the Cabinet and his staff, and that he understood that they had exhausting jobs and made many family sacrifices.
Ashcroft said in his resignation letter that the Justice Department would benefit from new leadership in a second term, while Evans told Bush he thought it was time to return home to Texas.
Some sources have said that Ashcroft's health would be a factor in his decision. The attorney general suffered from pancreatitis earlier this year, and had his gallbladder removed.
Evans, who served as Bush's campaign chairman in 2000, is a longtime friend and one of the president's closest advisers, while Ashcroft has been one of the administration's highest-profile and most-criticized appointees.
In a statement, the president said: "Don has worked to advance economic security and prosperity for all Americans. He has worked steadfastly to make sure America continues to be the best place in the world to do business.
"To encourage job creation here at home, Don has worked closely with me to reduce taxes, open markets for American goods and services, and promote a level playing field abroad."
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/09/cabinet.resignations/index.html
Official: Attorney General will leave when successor confirmed
(CNN) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans have resigned, the White House said Tuesday evening.
Ashcroft's resignation will be effective upon confirmation of his successor, a Justice Department official said.
The White House released their resignation letters Tuesday evening. Ashcroft's was hand-written and dated November 2, the day Bush was re-elected; Evans' was dated Tuesday.
President Bush met with his Cabinet on Thursday and held a news conference later that day. At that time Bush said he had yet to make any decisions about replacements for any people who resigned.
"I don't know who they'll be," he said. "It's inevitable. There'll be some changes. It happens in every administration."
Bush said Thursday that he was proud of every member of the Cabinet and his staff, and that he understood that they had exhausting jobs and made many family sacrifices.
Ashcroft said in his resignation letter that the Justice Department would benefit from new leadership in a second term, while Evans told Bush he thought it was time to return home to Texas.
Some sources have said that Ashcroft's health would be a factor in his decision. The attorney general suffered from pancreatitis earlier this year, and had his gallbladder removed.
Evans, who served as Bush's campaign chairman in 2000, is a longtime friend and one of the president's closest advisers, while Ashcroft has been one of the administration's highest-profile and most-criticized appointees.
In a statement, the president said: "Don has worked to advance economic security and prosperity for all Americans. He has worked steadfastly to make sure America continues to be the best place in the world to do business.
"To encourage job creation here at home, Don has worked closely with me to reduce taxes, open markets for American goods and services, and promote a level playing field abroad."
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/09/cabinet.resignations/index.html
