The Art Of Strategic Resignation

 

Photo 1:  Alberto Gonzales speaking at a Republican function. Photo 2: State Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach, testifying at a legislative committee meeting. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

When I heard this morning that Alberto Gonzales had resigned from his Attorney General gig — news timed for a Monday-morning release, perfect to blot out anything else that might turn up in today’s news cycle — all I could think of at first was “So what new horror are they trying to cover up with this strategically-timed resignation?”

Gonzales was Rove’s firewall, and had to be protected so long as Rove was around; now that Rove’s gone, there was no need for him anymore.  But of course he couldn’t be allowed to resign too close to Rove’s departure, or there would be too much in the way of dot-connecting.  Besides, if they kept his resignation on hold, they could use it when needed to soak up the oxygen in the newscycle, at least for a few days — and releasing the news when they did shows that this was their intention.

It also makes me think of another recent strategic resignation:  That of Dianne Mandernach, Minnesota’s state health commissioner, who presided over the coverup of news that scores of Iron Range miners died of mesothelioma, a rare mining-related lung cancer:

Mandernach insisted in June that she would not resign, even after repeated calls for her ouster and marathon legislative hearings criticizing her leadership.

But Tuesday afternoon Mandernach sent an e-mail to Health Department staffers, saying she’d notified Gov. Pawlenty that she will leave her position on Oct. 2. Her last day of work will be Sept. 20.

Mandernach could not be reached for comment, and the e-mail offered no explanation for her decision.

The scuttlebutt I’ve been hearing is that Pawlenty pushed her to do it.  He was originally going to stand fast and keep her around, but in the wake of the 35W bridge disaster, and the pressure on Pawlenty to call a special session to allow the passage of all those tax bills he’d vetoed this spring, we suddenly heard the news that she had resigned.

Strategic resignation:  It’s the new black, apparently.