CNN’s saying Mike Brown’s resigned and stressing that he wasn’t fired.

Get that? He experienced a sudden, overwhelming, and totally random desire to spend more time with the horses. Bush is not admitting that his political patronage contributed to a massive disaster.

I have to admit, I don’t understand the Bush administration’s peculiar resistance to firing folks. Wouldn’t the axing of Brown make Bush look decisive, in charge, willing to hold underlings accountable, aware of how poor a job FEMA had done? I know the Bushies are severely allergic to the slightest whiff of admitting fault, but you’d think they’d swallow that for short-term political gain. Weird place to pile your principles.

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.