Melissa Hathaway, a veteran intelligence official of the Bush administration who spearheaded President Obama's recent cybersecurity review, is resigning from her position as White House acting senior director of cyberspace security (or, in the vernacular, cybersecurity czar), according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hathaway had long been rumored as a top candidate for the permanent position, which Obama has said would be organized under both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council.

The Journal reported that she took her name out of contention for that position two weeks ago, and that her resignation -- for "personal reasons" -- will take effect Aug. 24.

Hathaway joins other notables, including former Virginia congressman Tom Davis, who have taken their names off the short list of candidates for a position that some think Obama will have trouble filling.

After all, the person who takes the job will have the daunting task of bringing together the various agencies, Congress and private industry to form a coherent federal approach to cybersecurity -- and do so from a relatively low position on the bureaucratic totem pole.