While Bush Inc. has maintained his popular standing in the polls, he hasn't done as well with some of the people he as appointed..... Karen Hughes, Paul O'Neil and the economic advisors, Harvey Pitt, and now: Kissinger Quits As Chairman of 9/11 Panel By Ron Fournier AP White House Correspondent Friday, December 13, 2002; 5:30 PM WASHINGTON ââ Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stepped down Friday as chairman of a panel investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, citing controversy over potential conflicts of interest with his private-sector clients. "It is clear that, although specific potential conflicts can be resolved in this manner, the controversy would quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own," Kissinger wrote in a letter to President Bush, who appointed him. "I have, therefore, concluded that I cannot accept the responsibility you proposed." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheney's Top Communication Aide Leaves The Associated Press Friday, December 13, 2002; 9:05 AM WASHINGTON ââ Mary Matalin, Vice President Dick Cheney's top public relations strategist, is leaving the White House. Matalin, the wife of Democratic consultant James Carville and the mother of two girls, wants to spend more time with her family, White House officials said. She has told associates for weeks that her departure was imminent, but made it official Friday. Matalin benefited from her boss' unusual influence inside the White House and became a key adviser not only to Cheney but also President Bush. She was at the center of most high-profile announcements at the White House. Matalin and Karen Hughes are among the most influential women to serve as White House aides. Hughes, a senior adviser to Bush, left the White House in August to move her family back to Texas. Matalin had planned to leave the White House earlier, but extended her stay after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. White House officials said Matalin is part of the traditional turnover that occurs inside an administration after midterm elections. Several other aides, few of them household names, are expected to leave in the coming weeks. Matalin is one of the White House's better known figures because of her marriage to Carville, an outspoken critic of Bush, and her high-profile work at the Republican National Committee and in the first Bush White House.