Because a few of you have written in to ask about this, and because Dan Froomkin included it in his column today, let’s put Bush’s changes to his cabinet in historical terms.
At this point, six cabinet members have resigned. Two more — Ridge at DHS and Mineta at Transportation — are rumored to be on their way out as well. This would stack up as on the high side for post-WWII presidents.
The number of new Cabinet members for second-term presidents, compiled by Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to the Presidency:
* Harry S. Truman: 4
* Dwight D. Eisenhower: 3
* Lyndon B. Johnson: 4
* Richard M. Nixon: 9
* Ronald Reagan: 7
* Bill Clinton: 7
Nixon clearly set the mark — it was his idea to have everyone resign and then rehire only the best ones — but if Bush sees eight departures, as expected, he’ll come close to Nixon’s modern-day record. With a 15-member cabinet, it will also mean more than half of Bush’s first-term team has left.
Oddly enough, it was just last week that the White House was noting Bush’s pleasure with his administration’s performance, arguing that this would lead to fewer departures. The president valued “constituency” and “continuity,” we were told, so there’d be minimal turnover. Guess that’s no longer operative.