New Neighbors

The LipsYard neighborhood is pretty stable, but over the last couple of years, there has been a steady turnover of home-owners. Across the street from us are Mary and Jim. Nothing unusual about picking up leaves this time of year, except Jim has always had "People" do his yard work. Imagine our surprise to see them out doing it themselves.

Jim told me "I found out they wanted money to do this!" Plus, he had just got a new Black and Decker "bad boy" leaf sucker and had to try it out.

An hour or so later, he had changed his tune to "They're called leaves because you're supposed to leave them on the ground." Mary wasn't buying it.

President Bush is going to have another new cubicle neighbor, as another rat has jumped ship. This time it's Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend, the leading White House-based terrorism adviser who gave public updates on the extent of the threat to U.S. security. She's stepping down after 4 1/2 years.

Townsend said she hates to leave when figures like Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, remain at large. "Do I wish that I was going to be standing here when they are captured or killed? Absolutely. But I have no doubt that we will ultimately be successful."

Her departure continues an exodus of key Bush aides and confidants, with his two-term presidency in the final 15 months. Top aide Karl Rove, along with press secretary Tony Snow, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and senior presidential adviser Dan Bartlett, have already left. It wouldn't be too much of a bet to say she won't be the last, either.