It doesn’t usually attract much notice when a governor’s spokesperson retires, but the timing of this announcement is curious:

After seven years of fielding questions from reporters from Pennsylvania and beyond, Gov. Ed Rendell’s chief spokesman Chuck Ardo says he plans to leave the administration…

”Because I’m tired,” he said. ”Because I’ve spent all day, every day, for the last 90 days trying to explain to people what we’re taking away from them. It’s physically and emotionally draining…”

”It’s just emotionally draining,” Ardo said. ”I’ve just run out of juice…”

Ardo, an Ohio native, said he and his wife, Nancy, also want to spend more time with his 11-year-old grandson, who is moving in with the couple this week.

”I want to spend more time with my family,” he said. ”It’s a demanding job.”

If Ardo is exhausted now, it’s a good thing he’s stepping aside. Because recent headlines suggest that the job of serving as Rendell’s spokesman may be about to get a lot more demanding. If I were Ardo, I’d be looking for a change right about now, too.