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Breaking News: Sec State Colin Powell Resigns
President Bush has accepted the resignation of Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as three other Cabinet secretaries, the White House announced Monday. Powell submitted his resignation letter to the president Friday. "As we have discussed in recent months, I believe that now that the election is over the time has come for me to step down as secretary of state and return to private life. I, therefore, resign as the 65th Secretary of State, effective at your pleasure," Powell wrote.Bush is expected to issue a statement on Powell's resignation later Monday. But Bush will not be appearing in public to make any remarks. Powell announced his resignation to his staff during their Monday morning meeting. He is likely to stay in place until a replacement is confirmed. The White House also confirmed that three other Cabinet secretaries have submitted their resignations: Education Secretary Rod Paige, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said no successors would be named on Monday. "People aren't just leaving. That doesn't mean they are leaving today. They will continue to do their jobs. They all have jobs to do," McClellan said. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and Attorney General John Ashcroft have already announced their departures. Last week, Bush nominated White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to replace Ashcroft. After his staff meeting Monday in which he announced his impending departure, Powell drove over to the White House and then returned to his department about six blocks away. "His loss will be a great loss not just for the administration but for the country," Graham Allison, a former assistant secretary of defense, told FOX News. Posted by: OldSpook 2004-11-15 |
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