Breaking: Alberto Gonzales Resigns as Attorney General

Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, [a senior administration official] said. His decision was not immediately announced, the official added, until after the president invited him and his wife to lunch at his ranch near here.

Mr. Bush has not yet chosen a replacement but will not leave the position open long, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Attorney General's resignation had not yet been made public.

The official said that the decision was Mr. Gonzales's and that the president accepted it grudgingly. At the same time, the official acknowledged that the turmoil over his tenure as Attorney General had made continuing difficult.