Karl Rove is resigning

[stonethrower]

I see Karl Rove is set to resign from the White House at end of August.

It seems a raft of Bush people are leaving the sinking ship, but of course Bush's brain is the most significant.

While I disagreed with his politics, you have to acknowledge his abilities in getting Bush elected as Governor of Texas and then positioning him to win in 2000 when Democrats after 8 years of prosperity should have coasted to victory. OK they had a lot of money, but lots of other candidates with buckets of money have bombed.

How he managed to present GWB as a good ol cowboy and as an outsider running in 2000 when he was a born and bred on the east coast and from a family who have been at the centre of american politics for decades was amazing. Also his ability to identify and exploit "wedge" issues in the elections was very clever. And of course how he swift boated Kerry in 2004 was another Rove classic.

It is reported that Rove dreamed of a GOP hegemony where the GOP would not only dominate the White House but also create a long term GOP majority in the Senate and Congress and for a while it seems they would manage it, holding onto both in 2002 and 2004. But it all fell apart in 2006.

Most of the Bush/Rove legacy lies in tatters, Bush will go down in history as a failed President and the GOP could be clobbered in 2008. His major foreign policy initiative is now being disowned by most Republicans and he has little or no domestic policy achievements except perhaps a tax cut for the very rich.

I just may be a case of what goes around comes around.Perhaps Rove and Bush were better at winning elections than actually governing.

[Maximus]

I see Karl Rove is set to resign from the White House at end of August.

It seems a raft of Bush people are leaving the sinking ship, but of course Bush's brain is the most significant.

While I disagreed with his politics, you have to acknowledge his abilities in getting Bush elected as Governor of Texas and then positioning him to win in 2000 when Democrats after 8 years of prosperity should have coasted to victory. OK they had a lot of money, but lots of other candidates with buckets of money have bombed.

How he managed to present GWB as a good ol cowboy and as an outsider running in 2000 when he was a born and bred on the east coast and from a family who have been at the centre of american politics for decades was amazing. Also his ability to identify and exploit "wedge" issues in the elections was very clever. And of course how he swift boated Kerry in 2004 was another Rove classic.

It is reported that Rove dreamed of a GOP hegemony where the GOP would not only dominate the White House but also create a long term GOP majority in the Senate and Congress and for a while it seems they would manage it, holding onto both in 2002 and 2004. But it all fell apart in 2006.

Most of the Bush/Rove legacy lies in tatters, Bush will go down in history as a failed President and the GOP could be clobbered in 2008. His major foreign policy initiative is now being disowned by most Republicans and he has little or no domestic policy achievements except perhaps a tax cut for the very rich.

I just may be a case of what goes around comes around.Perhaps Rove and Bush were better at winning elections than actually governing.

Bush isn’t popular at the moment, but as the position in Iraq improves (by the end of the year 15 of 18 provinces will be under the direct control of the Iraqi Security Forces) the administration's long term image will gradually improve.

Moving away from foreign policy, when people consider the long term legacy, one can’t ignore the administrations appointments to the Supreme Court. They are sure to influence US policy for the next half-century.

[meriwether]

Rove's a genius.
Not necessarily a nice man, or someone who used his genius for good (or bad) but a genius nonetheless.

[odie1kanobe]

A disgusting Rat deserting a Stinking Ship.

[Defeated Romanticist]

I see Karl Rove is set to resign from the White House at end of August.

It seems a raft of Bush people are leaving the sinking ship, but of course Bush's brain is the most significant.

While I disagreed with his politics, you have to acknowledge his abilities in getting Bush elected as Governor of Texas and then positioning him to win in 2000 when Democrats after 8 years of prosperity should have coasted to victory. OK they had a lot of money, but lots of other candidates with buckets of money have bombed.

How he managed to present GWB as a good ol cowboy and as an outsider running in 2000 when he was a born and bred on the east coast and from a family who have been at the centre of american politics for decades was amazing. Also his ability to identify and exploit "wedge" issues in the elections was very clever. And of course how he swift boated Kerry in 2004 was another Rove classic.

It is reported that Rove dreamed of a GOP hegemony where the GOP would not only dominate the White House but also create a long term GOP majority in the Senate and Congress and for a while it seems they would manage it, holding onto both in 2002 and 2004. But it all fell apart in 2006.

Most of the Bush/Rove legacy lies in tatters, Bush will go down in history as a failed President and the GOP could be clobbered in 2008. His major foreign policy initiative is now being disowned by most Republicans and he has little or no domestic policy achievements except perhaps a tax cut for the very rich.

I just may be a case of what goes around comes around.Perhaps Rove and Bush were better at winning elections than actually governing.

A very interesting time for him leave. Is he going to join any of the Republican candidates campaign?

[Insider2007]

Sorry guys but much as though I hate Bush and Rove the claim that he is leaving a "sinking ship" is rubbish. In EVERY two-term presidency the key players usually leave to go into the private sector in year 6. It is normal. Given that they still have contacts in the White House they are of more value in the private sector while their president is in office than when he is gone. Administrations lose up to 80% of their senior staff during the president's term(s). I am only surprised Rove waited so long.

He may instead of going to the private sector get involved in another campaign. But it is normal for him and the others to leave now. Anyway by year 7 the president, any president, tends to be yesterday's man with people lining up with their replacements. By year 8 Clinton said that he might as well spend all his time on the golf course rather than the White House for all the attention people paid to him. Year 6 is the winddown year, when presidencies start the final lap and people begin to leave. Irrespective of the Iraq war or anything else, it is a safe bet that he would be going. In fact many people in presidential administations actually tell presidents years in advance that they will be bowing out in year 6. Bush's term started in 2001, having been elected in 2000, so this is the time people move. It happened to Clinton, to Reagan, to everyone.

[bobbysands81]

EVERYONE knows that Rove is deserting the sinking ship cos Ron Paul is the only show in town!

[Thac0man]

Sorry guys but much as though I hate Bush and Rove the claim that he is leaving a "sinking ship" is rubbish. In EVERY two-term presidency the key players usually leave to go into the private sector in year 6. It is normal. Given that they still have contacts in the White House they are of more value in the private sector while their president is in office than when he is gone. Administrations lose up to 80% of their senior staff during the president's term(s). I am only surprised Rove waited so long.

I was about to say that, but not quiet as well.

[odie1kanobe]

The word was "STINKING SHIP".

The odious smell of corruption that exists within the US Govt probably won't see justice served on its perpetrators.

Obviously there are some congress subpoena's headed his way so he gets out and as a private citizen they can't touch him.

[President Bartlet]

The word was "STINKING SHIP".

The odious smell of corruption that exists within the US Govt probably won't see justice served on its perpetrators.

Obviously there are some congress subpoena's headed his way so he gets out and as a private citizen they can't touch him.

It just seems to get worse for GWB - White House press secretary Tony Snow said Friday he'll leave sometime before the end of the Bush presidency because of financial pressures.

He declined to say when he would depart, but that, "I'm going to stay as long as I can."
The White House has been shaken by the resignations of some of President Bush's closest aides. Political strategist Karl Rove announced Monday that he would leave at the end of the month. Longtime Bush adviser Dan Bartlett left earlier this year and Andrew Card left earlier as Bush's chief of staff.

Bush's term ends on Jan. 20, 2009. Any bets that Bush himself wont go before it?
The sooner this farce of a Presidency ends the better