Secretary of the Interior Resigns

A member of the President's Cabinet has resigned... bring on the new crony!

AP: Interior Secretary Gale Norton Resigns

Interior Secretary Gale Norton resigned Friday after five years in President Bush's Cabinet and at a time when her agency is part of a lobbying scandal over Indian gaming licenses.

In a letter to Bush, Norton said the resignation would be effective at the end of March...

And off to the private sector she goes, to cash in on her years after serving in the King's Court.

The AP article linked above goes into surprising detail about her office's relationship with Jack Abramoff. Looks like the Abramoff scandal is making huge ripples, despite the Republicans trying to distance themselves from it. The Republicans hoped they could cast him onto the Democrats somehow (just as they convinced themselves that Fitzgerald would end up indicting wily ol' Joe Wilson himself instead of actual administration officials), but the facts are what they are. Jack Abramoff was the GOP's power player and there are few top Republicans who didn't have some contact with him. Ms. Norton's leaving likely was for a few reasons, but no doubt the Abramoff issues hastened her departure. And if Abramoff follows through on his promise to "name names" of those in Congress he worked with, she may just be the first of many to pack it up.

ThinkProgress has info on this and a copy of the resignation letter:
Another Abramoff Casualty? Gale Norton Announces Resignation