Oregon Gov Resigns

Gov. John Kitzhaber, long regarded as a wily survivor of Oregon politics, resigned Friday amid a spiraling crisis that included a criminal investigation of the role that his fiancée played in his administration and crumbling support from his Democratic Party colleagues.

It was a steep and rapid fall for Mr. Kitzhaber, 67, a former emergency room doctor who won an unprecedented fourth term as governor in November. His resignation

Gov. John Kitzhaber's dizzying fall from grace this week had all the trappings, one Democratic Oregon legislator remarked, of a "Greek tragedy."

He announced his resignation on Friday, capping a dramatic week that put Oregon's political scene on the national stage. He faced growing calls to resign from the state's top Democratic officials amid a scandal surrounding his fiancee's work advising him and his staff on environmental policy, while also being paid by a group advocating on the issue.

Adding a touch of com