Reports from those close to Attorney General John Ashcroft say that it is likely Mr. Ashcroft will not stay on during Mr. Bush's second term. The main reason: exhaustion. No official announcement from Mr. Ashcroft has been made but one is expected soon.

Ashcroft, 62, has had his hands full with very serious issues since becoming Attorney General in 2001. The so-called 'Patriot Act', designed to aid law enforcement officials in the hunt for terrorist suspects in the aftermath of September 11th, has come under fire for its restrictions of individual privacy rights. Mr. Ashcroft has also been criticized for the Bush Administration's stance on the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq as well as for his stance on mandatory federal sentencing guidelines.

An aide to Mr. Ashcroft said the Attorney General may stay on a bit past Mr. Bush's second inauguration if asked until a successor can be named.

Possible candidates to succeed Ashcroft include White House General Counsel Alberto Gonzalez, Larry Thompson, who served as Ashcroft's former Deputy, and Marc Racicot, Bush's campaign manager in 2004. If selected, Thompson would become the first ever African American named to the prestigious post of Attorney General.