The abrupt resignation of embattled Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford presents a much-needed opportunity for the agency to change course by putting prudent public policy ahead of partisan politics.

That means the Bush administration must work hard and fast to find a permanent replacement who can do precisely that. So far, the signs are not encouraging.

Crawford's resignation comes after scathing criticism and a series of embarrassments for the FDA. The agency took a serious hit after Vioxx was pulled from the shelves because of public safety risks. And it was caught off guard by disruptions in the supply of flu vaccine and by Britain's decision to shut down a supplier of U.S. flu vaccines because of tainted batches.

Then came the resignation of Susan Wood, the FDA's top official on women's health. She resigned in protest after Crawford indefinitely delayed nonprescription sales of emergency contraception, over objections from scientists who declared the pill safe. Wood said the incident showed politics overruled sensible scientific and clinical evidence at the FDA. She was right.

The FDA is also the target of a Senate investigation for its cozy relationship with pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

It's no wonder morale at the FDA has tanked.

Given its crucial mission of regulating drugs and medical devices — and the direct effect on public health and safety — it's time to turn the tide at the FDA.

So President Bush's selection of National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach as the new interim acting commissioner is troubling. Von Eschenbach will also retain his job at the institute, splitting his time — and his commitment — between both jobs.

That's not what this agency needs now, even if it is a temporary fix.

It's time for the FDA to move forward. And it's up to the White House to quickly nominate a permanent replacement for Crawford with the right skills, someone who can rightly put the the FDA's mission to serve the public ahead of politics and placating well-heeled drug companies.