Politico is reporting this afternoon that Don Berwick, the Obama Administration’s controversial recess appointment to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), is bowing to the writing on the wall, and will step down early, on December 2. The recess appointment wasn’t set to expire until the first of the new year.

Senate Republicans were angered by Obama’s recess appointment of Berwick, installing him in the office before the Senate was able to confirm his appointment.  Berwick also drew fire from conservative commentators for comments that seemed to endorse health care rationing and his perceived contempt of critics.  (Here’s Examiner Editorial Page Editor Mark Tapscott’s take on Berwick last December.)