Fleischer to leave White House role

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, the public face of the Bush administration through two wars and a terrorist attack, is quitting.

He said today he will resign in July to enter the private sector. His replacement will likely be deputy press secretary Scott McLellan.

“I’ve decided my time has come to leave the White House,” Fleischer said.

He said he wanted to leave the hard-driving job before President George Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign geared up.