White House spokesman to leave, insists no cancer link (Roundup)

Aug 31, 2007, 17:44 GMT

Washington - White House chief spokesman Tony Snow said Friday he is resigning, the latest departure among US President George W Bush's top aides before his term ends in January 2009.

Snow, 52, has been battling cancer. But he said his sickness was under control and he would step down September 14 because he needed to make more money.

'We took out a loan when I came to the White House and that loan's now gone,' Snow said. 'Cancer has nothing to do with this decision.'

Snow, a former Fox News television journalist, took the hot-seat post in April 2006. His replacement is his deputy, Dana Perino, 35, a former public relations officer who has been at the White House since March 2006.

Bush, who announced the change to White House reporters, said Snow was 'able to talk about issues in a way that the American people can understand.'

Snow was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005. The cancer spread to his liver this year, but he said Friday that treatment had halted the cancer's spread and 'I'm feeling great.'

Married with three children and a White House salary of 168,000 dollars, Snow said he made his move 'because I ran out of money.'

'This job has really been a dream for me and a blast,' he said.

Now, he said, he expects to write about his battle with cancer, hit the speech circuit and stay active in politics.

Friday also was the last day at the White House for Karl Rove, Bush's top political strategist and the architect of Bush's two election victories.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the nation's top law enforcement officer, plans to step down three days after Snow.

Gonzales, the first Hispanic attorney general, has fought with the Democratic-controlled Congress over allegations that the administration fired federal prosecutors last year for partisan political reasons.