White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card will resign today, according to the AP:

White House chief of staff Andy Card has resigned and will be replaced by budget director Josh Bolten, an administration official said Tuesday, in a White House shake up that comes amid declining poll standings for President Bush.

The move comes as Bush has been buffeted by increasing criticism of the drawn-out war in
Iraq and as fellow Republicans have suggested pointedly that the president bring in new aides with fresh ideas and new energy.

Card came to Bush recently and suggested that he should step down from the job that he has held from the first day of Bush's presidency, said the administration official.

After a flurry of stories generated by the gaggle questioned why Bush hadn't shuffled the deck, a Card finally drops out. That should keep the reporters busy talking about something that matters little to any of the issues, a familiar position for most of them anyway. I find it amusing that the press corps can't fathom why Bush would want stability in his senior staff, and at the same time provide shelter for Helen Thomas, who has been around the White House so long she can remember when the British burnt it.

The CoS is a demanding job, and by all accounts Card acquitted himself well in the role. He should be commended for his service and Bush should be commended for his loyalty. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to toss out a few staffers every election cycle to deflect criticism, warranted or not, of Bush's performance.

UPDATE: George Stephanopoulos seems enamored of Card's replacement, Josh Bolten:

It's hard to imagine a man more qualified for the job of WH Chief of Staff than Josh Bolten. He grew up in Washington, started out at the Reagan State Department and followed that up with work in the first Bush White House, the Senate, and a stint at Goldman Sachs in London. He's about as nice and smart a man as you'll ever meet, with strong support on the WH staff and Capitol Hill, and he's got a playful side (expect to hear more about Harley Davidsons and Bo Derek!). Most important perhaps to the President, he's been with W from the very beginning of his Presidential campaign.

Harleys and Bo Derek? Who knew how easy it was to keep the White House press corps happy?

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