White House budget director announces resignation

WASHINGTON – White House budget director Rob Portman announced his resignation Tuesday, and President Bush named former Iowa Rep. Jim Nussle as his successor.\n“I’m here to say goodbye to a good friend,” Bush said in a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room. “There’s no finer man in public service than Rob Portman.”\n“Fortunately we’ve found a good man to succeed him,” Bush said of Nussle. “Jim’s name and knowledge command respect on Capitol Hill.”\nNussle ran for governor of Iowa last year and was defeated. He has been serving in Iowa as an adviser in former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.\nPortman, who was a six-term congressman from Cincinnati, left his career on Capitol Hill to join the Bush administration two years ago as trade representative and was named budget director a little more than a year ago to replace Josh Bolten when he became White House chief of staff.\nPortman said he was leaving the administration for personal reasons. His family has remained in Cincinnati and he has been commuting home on weekends for 14 years.\n“I need to be home more. I’ve got three kids ages 12 to 17. It’s just been very hard to spend as much time with them and Jane as I need to at this time of my life,” he said.\nPortman also made it clear he might seek a return to elective office, either by running for governor of Ohio or for the Senate.\nPortman said the president “is in a good position” to contest the Democratic-controlled Congress over spending if necessary. The White House has issued some veto threats against spending bills in recent days, and more are coming, the budget director said.\nNussle’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.