AP -- EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman Resigns

Critics said that in the name of attracting businesses, she compromised water pollution protections and cut spending for state offices that prosecute environmental abuses by industry. Whitman, an avid mountain biker and skier, insisted she retained needed protections while eliminating red tape.

When the Bush administration took office, Whitman had only the briefest honeymoon. Within the first three months, she had upset industry executives and conservationists, disappointed moderates who like her and angered conservatives who don't. The conservation group Friends of the Earth wasted little time in urging her to resign, saying that Bush's decisions on the environment had undermined her credibility. But Whitman stood steadfastly behind Bush, even when their own disagreements became public.