Symington Keeps Sliver of Support

PHOENIX: A small minority of state voters wish Gov. Fife Symington hadn't announced his resignation yesterday, the same day he was convicted of lying to obtain millions in loans for a now-busted real estate empire. "Some people feel his mistakes as a businessman should be overlooked because he really was turning around this state," says TIME Arizona reporter Laura Laughlin. "The irony is that he had no business success he was broke, as we all found out later but he wasn't a bad governor."

Symington's resignation, which takes effect tomorrow as he faces a possible 165 years in prison or $6.2 million in fines, did not come as a shock in a state that has become accustomed to political scandal. Symington was the second GOP governor in a decade to be forced from office by scandal.