Buh-Bye Gonzo

Finally, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned his post. Buh-bye Gonzo. Now, if the two at the top would join him, maybe this country, and the world, can begin the healing process.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, an official said on Monday, ending a controversial tenure as chief law enforcement officer that blemished the administration of President George W. Bush.

The official confirmed a Web site report of the resignation by The New York Times, telling Reuters an official announcement would be made later in the day.

The 51-year-old Bush loyalist was at the center of a political firestorm over the sacking of federal prosecutors last year, which critics in Congress complained were politically motivated.

The official told The Times that Gonzales had told Bush on Friday in a telephone call that he would resign. The official said the job would not be open for long.

Gonzales worked for Bush when he was governor of Texas in the 1990s. He served as White House lawyer in Bush's first term as president before becoming the first Hispanic attorney general in February 2005.

Current and former administration officials had said the department's integrity had been damaged under Gonzales with controversy over the firing of the prosecutors, his support for Bush's warrantless domestic spying program and other issues.