White House chief of staff Andrew Card has resigned and will be replaced by budget chief Joshua Bolten, President George Bush said Tuesday.
Bush has come under intense pressure in recent weeks, including from within his own Republican Party, to shake up his White House staff amid a sharp slump in his personal-approval ratings.
The shake-up comes after Bush’s ratings have tumbled over concerns about his Iraq policy, a perceived lacklustre response to Hurricane Katrina, and in the wake of a White House scandal over the leaking of a Central Intelligence Agency agent’s identity to the media.
Card (58) has held the key position since the start of Bush’s first term in January 2001, effectively acting as the president’s personal gatekeeper and coordinator.
A long-time Republican stalwart and Bush family loyalist, Card served as a deputy chief of staff and also as the United States secretary of transportation under the administration of former president George Bush, the current president’s father.
Card also served as a special White House assistant during Ronald Reagan’s administration.
Bolten (50) has served as director of the Office of Management and Budget since June 2003. Prior to that, he served as deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House from January 2001 to June 2003.
Bolten, a Princeton graduate, is a Republican loyalist who also served in the administration of the elder Bush. — Sapa-AFP