White House spokesman Ari Fleischer is stepping down this summer to return to the private sector. Considering that the campaign season will begin soon, this is a logical stop for many White House personnel. The stress of a White House job is immense, and turnover rates are high. As Fleischer himself joked, being the White House spokesman is about as stressful as decommissioning live nuclear weapons.

I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Fliescher in the summer of 2001, and he’s a genuinely nice guy. I met him shortly after Vice President Cheney had a heart spell, so he was understandably rushed and under great stress, but still managed to talk to a group of students and give a great speech on life in the White House. He’ll be missed, but he is sure to go on to great things in the future.