Insiders suggest that Barney considering leaving position as first dog

Think Progress reports that Tony Snow on the conservative Hugh Hewitt Show

...signaled that he will not stay until the end of the term. He also mentioned that there are “probably a couple” of other high-level resignations “coming up in the next month or so.”

Most of the key players in the Bush White House are gone or stepping out the door.

Can Barney be far behind?

ThinkProgress has compiled a list of some of the key resignations:

• White House Senior Political Adviser Karl Rove
• White House Counselor Dan Bartlett
• White House Budget Director Rob Portman
• White House Counsel Harriet Miers
• White House Political Director Sara Taylor
• White House Director of Strategic Initiatives Pete Wehner
• White House Deputy National Security Adviser J.D. Crouch
• Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty
• Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer
• Justice Department White House liaison Monica Goodling
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
• Army Secretary Francis Harvey
• Joint Chief of Staffs Chairman Peter Pace
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
• U.N. Ambassador John Bolton
• USAID Director Randall Tobias

With so many key staff departures, the AP reports that “Bush has decided he might get more done in his final months by going it alone,” making increased use of executive orders and veto power.

Can you say "Lame Duck President?"