KARL ROVE RESIGNS

White House Adviser Karl Rove told Wall Street Journal columnist Paul Gigot that he will step down at the end of the month and move back to Texas.  Gigot revealed it in a column Monday morning:

He's resigning effective Aug. 31 -- 14 years after hebegan working with Mr. Bush on his campaign for Texas governor, 10years after they began planning a White House run, and after 79 monthsin the political cockpit of a tumultuous presidency.

"I just think it's time," he says, adding that hefirst floated the idea of leaving to Mr. Bush a year ago. His friendsconfirm he had been talking about it with others even earlier. ButDemocrats took Congress, and he didn't want to depart on that sournote. He then thought he'd leave after the State of the Union, but theIraq and immigration fights beckoned. Finally, Chief of Staff JoshBolten told senior White House aides that if they stayed past a certainpoint, they were obliged to remain to Jan. 20, 2009.

"There's always something that can keep you here, andas much as I'd like to be here, I've got to do this for the sake of myfamily," Mr. Rove says. His son attends college in San Antonio, and heand his wife, Darby, plan to spend much of their time at their home innearby Ingram, in the Texas Hill Country.

Is this Rove's way of avoiding further investigation by Congress?:

Mr. Rove doesn't say, though others do, that thistiming also allows him to leave on his own terms. He has survived aprobe by a remorseless special counsel, and lately a subpoena barragefrom Democrats for whom he is the great white whale. He shows notableforbearance in declining to comment on prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald,who dragged him through five grand jury appearances. He won't evendisclose his legal bills, except to quip that "every one has been paid"and that "it was worth every penny."

What about those who say he's leaving to avoidCongressional scrutiny? "I know they'll say that," he says, "But I'mnot going to stay or leave based on whether it pleases the mob." Healso knows he'll continue to be a target, even from afar, since beliefin his influence over every Administration decision has become, well,faith-based.

As for Rove's legacy:

"I'm a myth. There's the Mark of Rove," he says, witha bemused air. "I read about some of the things I'm supposed to havedone, and I have to try not to laugh." He says the real target is Mr.Bush, whom many Democrats have never accepted as a legitimate presidentand "never will."

Well, he is right about one thing.

Lastly, and thank God, this is likely the last we will ever see of Karl Rove in American politics:

And what about Jeb Bush in 2012? Mr. Rove first says with a tone ofskepticism, "Ask Jeb." Then he adds, "You better get a younger man. Mywife would kill me."

The godfather of modern-day Machiavellian political strategy is taking off his cleats for the final time, and the nation can finally exhale.

UPDATE (6:27 AM): Just occurred to me, with Rove gone at the end of August, Cheney is now Bush's number one influencer.  Last week, the USA Today reported that Cheney has recently been pushing for air-strikes against selected targets in Iran.  Maybe in some sick and twisted way, that is the only negative of losing Rove.  Other than that, a whole lot of cynicism is about to leave the political arena.  What an occasion to celebrate!

UPDATE (6:37 AM): This is from a Daily Kos commenter:

Hmm, Murdoch buys WSJ, Rove gives WSJ huge scoop, Billo moves to WhiteHouse, Rove goes to..... Wait for it..... Fox! Who wants to put moneyon it?"

Well I would definitely not bet against it!  At the very least, he will always have a place on Cavuto's show.

Comments

[epppie]

This is what comes of Congress not impeaching him.

[Jon]

When Karl Rove says "My work here is done." I don't know whether to be elated or terrified what happens now. Bush's Golden boy just quitting? Whats going on behind the scenes?

[George]

I'm hoping this just means that Bush is a complete lame duck and has no way to influence policy any longer so there's just no point in hanging around when he doesnt have to.