(Washington-AP) Nov. 9, 2004 - The Cabinet reshuffling has already begun. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans have resigned.

They are the first members of President Bush's Cabinet to leave since he was re-elected to a second term last week.

In a handwritten, five-page letter to the president, Ashcroft wrote that "the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." But he goes on to say that the Justice Department would be "well served" by "new leadership and fresh inspiration."

Evans is a close friend of Bush's from Texas. He wrote that while "the promise" of Bush's second term "shines bright," he believes it's time to go home.

The resignations were announced by White House press secretary Scott McClellan, who said Bush had accepted the decisions of both secretaries.