WASHINGTON – Maine’s two Republican senators had high praise Tuesday for outgoing White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, whose resignation President Bush announced that morning.

“I have been privileged to call Andy a friend for over a quarter-century, and I wish him all the best as he prepares to embark on a new chapter in his life,” Sen. Olympia Snowe said in a statement. “He was always willing to listen and communicate, and he is an exceptional person who will be missed.”

Card, a native of Massachusetts who served in the Massachusetts Legislature, owns a summer house in Poland, Maine, and has campaigned for Maine Republicans in the past.

Snowe said in an interview that she met Card when she was first campaigning for the state Senate in 1976. She was going door-to-door on a bicycle when she happened to knock on his door. The two Republicans have remained friends since then, dining together and maintaining a strong professional relationship.

Sen. Susan Collins also had kind words for Card. “Andy Card’s steady leadership, candor and professionalism over the past five years have distinguished him as one of the most dedicated public servants with whom I have had the privilege of working,” she said in a statement. “I wish him well in his future endeavors and look forward to continuing our personal relationship when he visits his second home in Maine.”

Snowe said she thought any future staff changes should be left up to President Bush, despite calls from some of her colleagues for a comprehensive staff shake-up. She said the key to better relations between the White House and Congress was open communication between the two branches, although she stressed at the same time the importance of the checks and balances system of government.

She added that, personally, Card always returned her phone calls.

Maine’s two Democratic representatives also had reactions to Card’s resignation.

Rep. Tom Allen said he did not know Card that well. He met Card in March 2001, when President Bush took the state’s congressional delegation up to Maine on Air Force One.

Unlike Snowe, Allen favors more resignations in the administration. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would be at the top of the list, Allen said, “because you should only have so many mistakes and bad policy decisions before the president finds someone else.”

Rep. Michael Michaud agreed with Allen on the need for “new blood” in the administration and added that Bush’s White House should work in a more bipartisan way. He had kind words for Card.

“I respect Andrew Card’s commitment to public service, and I thank him for it,” Michaud said in a statement.