The Town Where Nobody Gets Fired

Job security, Washington style:

Offering embattled officials the option of resigning dates back decades. President Clinton's agriculture secretary, Mike Espy, resigned under White House pressure in 1994 amid a probe over improperly accepting gifts. (He was later acquitted). In the George W. Bush administration, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson resigned in 2008 amid several controversies. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Cheney Chief of Staff Scooter Libby also resigned, though the circumstances were more complicated and politically charged.

President Obama has continued this tradition. The most recent and high-profile example involves the controversy over IRS officials singling out conservative groups for added scrutiny when applying for tax-exempt status.

It's a tradition...