planned departure for eight months. Townsend's name had come up during the president's recent search for a new attorney general, but she was not considered. She said not getting the job had absolutely nothing to do with her decision to leave. She said Bush had wanted her to stay on in his administration. It was a hard decision as I have loved and will cherish my every minute of service, she said in an e-mail. My family actually advocated that I remain and has always been supportive of my service so this was entirely my decision. Townsend is part of the search committee to find a replacement by the beginning of next year. The president appoints the senior staff position, and it needs no Senate confirmation. E-mail to a friend CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.