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May 19, 2003
Ari Fleischer resigns
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, the public face of the Bush administration through two wars and a terrorist attack, said Monday he will resign in July to enter the private sector. His replacement will likely be deputy press secretary Scott McLellan."I've decided my time has come to leave the White House," Fleischer said in a telephone interview.
Some more interesting details from Reuters:
He said a key motive is to spend more time with his wife.Fleischer, who has enjoyed a close relationship with Bush despite the fact that he is not from the president's band of Texas advisers, said he told Bush last Friday of his decision in an emotional meeting at the end of which Bush kissed him on his bald head.
"This is a wonderful job. I love this job, I love President Bush, I believe deeply in President Bush, policies and the man. But there comes a time in public service when you have to know when it is time to go to pursue other endeavors," Fleischer said.
A veteran of Capitol Hill, Fleischer signed on with the Bush campaign four years ago after Elizabeth Dole abandoned her race for the Republican presidential nomination. He left the Dole campaign, moved to Austin and has been with Bush since.
Friday was also the day that Bush filed with the Federal Election Commission as a candidate for re-election in 2004. Why does this kiss on the forehead remind me of that scene from "The Godfather" for some reason? Perhaps it's the way that White House insiders refer to themselves as "the Texas Mafia".
From White House correspondent John King at CNN:
McClellan has been Fleischer's top deputy, and is one of a handful of senior White House officials whose service to Bush dates back to his days as Texas governor. He is well liked and trusted by the president, and is close as well with White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett, another member of what others on the White House staff call "the Texas Mafia."Others mentioned as possible Fleischer replacements include Victoria Clarke, the top Pentagon spokeswoman.
But several administration officials said it was all but certain that the press secretary's job would go to McClellan. "This is Ari's day but you can expect an announcement in the not-to-distant future," one of the senior officials told CNN. "People need to talk things over but there is no reason to believe it will not be Scott."
Posted by Mike at May 19, 2003 03:53 PM
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Comments
"I want to spend more time with my family" is just Ari's washington speak for "Bush is the worst president in American HISTORY"
Posted by: Tony Carter at March 17, 2004 12:36 PM
Tony, you're an effing loser.
Posted by: Jim Ratliff at March 23, 2004 05:37 PM
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