Spellings Speculation

White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten has told administration officials that if they don’t plan to serve through the end of President Bush’s term in January 2009, then they should leave by this Labor Day. The deadline has given legs to a growing rumor that Education Secretary Margaret Spellings could be headed back to the Lone Star State as the president of the University of Texas. Other Texas confidants of then-Governor and now President Bush that came to Washington along with Secretary Spellings have recently departed, including such long-time, inner circle Bush loyalists as Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzalez. If Spellings does leave (either for UT or another position) - and in theory she has just days to decide - it is believed that Deputy Secretary Ray Simon would ascend to the top job at ED for the remainder of the Bush presidency.