Karl Rove Resigns

Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

A longtime member of Mr. Bush's inner circle, Mr. Rove was nicknamed "the architect" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House.

A criminal investigation put Mr. Rove under scrutiny for months during the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name but he was never charged with any crime.

Mr. Bush was expected to make a statement Monday with Mr. Rove.

More here, via The NY Sun.

Back in 2003, Contributing Editor John J. Pitney asked whether Rove really was Bush's brain.

Comments

Not a fan | August 13, 2007, 9:47am | #

I thought Rove was nicknamed the archictect because of his epic work, "Failingparty."

MP | August 13, 2007, 9:53am | #

Life must be boring once you have to occasionally compromise with Congress.

robc | August 13, 2007, 9:54am | #

DW was 6 minutes faster. Dont you all communicate or anything?

robc | August 13, 2007, 9:54am | #

And now the other is gone. MAGIC!!!

zevatron | August 13, 2007, 9:57am | #

My initial feeling was that this is good news of the "don't let the door hit you in the ass fat boy" variety. On further reflection I what, if anything, will change for the better for those of us under the rule of George W. Bush and his Executive Branch Rangers?

zevatron | August 13, 2007, 9:58am | #

err, make that "I wonder what, if anything"

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 10:05am | #

Good riddance.

Marcvs | August 13, 2007, 10:15am | #

Apparently, Wormwood was called back by Screwtape for his failures in the last election.

crimethink | August 13, 2007, 10:21am | #

No need to prosecute any of these idiots. All of them -- Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Condi, Gonzo, etc -- are going to be shunned from the corridors of power for the remainder of their pitiful existences. They're never going to be able to get the stink of this bloody bowel movement of an administration off of them.

Hugh Akston | August 13, 2007, 10:39am | #

Yes crimethink, I'm sure that thought will cost them many nights of sleep, rattling around in the wee hours, aimlessly drifing through their eight-bedroom homes, making them a wreck before their $10,000/hr speaking engagement the next morning.

lunchstealer | August 13, 2007, 10:39am | #

You couldn't have done this 6 years ago there, Turdblossom?

Also, can you take Alberto with you?

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 10:52am | #

No need to prosecute any of these idiots. All of them -- Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Condi, Gonzo, etc -- are going to be shunned from the corridors of power for the remainder of their pitiful existences. They're never going to be able to get the stink of this bloody bowel movement of an administration off of them.


QFT, prosecution will just turn them into GOP martyrs. Let them be harshly judged by history instead.

Warren | August 13, 2007, 11:14am | #

I say Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld, still need to answer for the torture thing.

I'd like to see Ashcroft and Gonzales have their feet held to the fire as well. But their abuse of office is more time honored.

Taktix® | August 13, 2007, 11:41am | #

I think there's more to this. Bush probably came to the realization that the Democrats won't stop with just Scooter Libby.

If Bush jettisons Rove now, it won't look as bad as if Bush were to ax him once another scandal broke.

The more that Bush's secrecy cracks, the better for us.

Sidenote: Did I read correctly that Dr. Paul beat McCain and Guiliani at Ames?

Mad Max | August 13, 2007, 11:41am | #

OMG, Karl Roveitlerfascistnazi has resigned!

Now all we need to do is put him in isn't he in *prison* for his crimes against humanity!

Bushliedkidsdiedhalliburtondiebold oh oh oh ohhhhhh! That felt good.

Sorry, just trying to anticipate the left-wing response to this news.

Chuck D | August 13, 2007, 12:00pm | #

Sidenote: Did I read correctly that Dr. Paul beat McCain and Guiliani at Ames?

They didn't participate.

TrickyVic | August 13, 2007, 12:15pm | #

Rove says we should stay in Iraq till the job is done, but he's quitting. That's showing the good ole tough it out leadership.

Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 12:25pm | #

The entire libertarian movement needs to take a pause and reflect on the fact, that Ron Paul would not be a United States Congressman today if it were not for Karl Rove.

It was Gov. George Bush (though Karl Rove) who put the word out to Houston-area Republicans to back Ron Paul with money and support immediately after the brutal GOP primary against Laughlin.

I personally fieled some of the calls from Rove. He also gave us many grass roots campaign tips, which we implemented.

We went on to win the general election by a hair -- Ron Paul 51%, Lefty Morris 47.5%.

If it were not for Rove pushing all the prominent Republicans in the State to "go down to South Texas to campaign for Ron Paul" we would have never won. The Austin Trial Lawyer-backed, hugely funded Lefty Morris would have cleaned our clock.

But of course, this information doesn't fit the cynical Leftist Libertarian template of "Bash Bush, Bash Bush, and the evil Karl Rove" so it will continue to go un-reported at Reason and other libertarian media.

But Ron Paul knows. After all he returned the favor by appearing with Bush at a number of Texas fundraisers in his Presidential campaign in 1999/2000. And prominently displayed a "Ron Paul and George W. Bush" photo at the entrance way to our District Congressional office for years.

Eric Dondero, Senior Aide
US Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX)
1997-2003

thoreau | August 13, 2007, 12:55pm | #

DONDEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

crimethink | August 13, 2007, 12:58pm | #

Ron Paul would not be a United States Congressman today if it were not for Karl Rove.

Assuming your story is true, we should also remember that Nancy Pelosi would not be Speaker of the House were it not for Karl Rove either. Yay for him.

lunchstealer | August 13, 2007, 12:58pm | #

giggle.

Seitz | August 13, 2007, 1:04pm | #

All of them -- Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Condi, Gonzo, etc -- are going to be shunned from the corridors of power for the remainder of their pitiful existences.

I have no doubt that if he wanted to, Rove would be hired in an instant by any of the Republican candidates for 2008, and probably half of the Democratic candidates.

Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 2:18pm | #

Crimethink,

Yup, I have to agree. You got me there.

And as for the veracity of the story, just ask virtually anyone who was involved in the 1996 Campaign. Here's a List of the most prominent campaign staffers/volunteers, many of whom can be easily contacted:

Tom Lizardo
Michael Quin Sullivan
Jack Spates
Michael Franks
John Monus
Chad Crowe
David Palmquist
Don Loucks
Phil Boyd-Robertson
Brian Roe

Of go to the source: The mysterious behind-the-curtains super insider Ron Paul fundraiser David Mertz, aka David James. It was James who set up all the Rove dealings for the Paul Campaign.

But hey, you didn't hear any of this from me.

zevatron | August 13, 2007, 2:41pm | #

That Rove is somehow responsible for Ron Paul winning is a bit beside the point, isn't it? The fact that Rove helped a Republican win shouldn't be surprising. One of the knocks on Rove is that for him:
(what's good for the USA) == (what's good for the GOP)

What's more important is what Paul and Rove respectively have done since then. I'd go with Paul on that one.

lunchstealer | August 13, 2007, 2:41pm | #

But of course, this information doesn't fit the cynical Leftist Libertarian template of "Bash Bush, Bash Bush, and the evil Karl Rove" so it will continue to go un-reported at Reason and other libertarian media.

You sure that it doesn't go unreported because it's intensely uninteresting? I mean, 1996 congressional election politics within the state of Texas is probably interesting to somebody, but even Ron Paul can't turn it into a not-snoozefest for most of us.

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 4:23pm | #

Wow, imagine that. People don't like Bush! What a shocker. I wonder why that could be?

Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 4:43pm | #

Lunchstealer, point is Ron Paul is now a Presidential candidate. Yeah, it wouldn't matter if he was just running for reelection to his Congressional seat.

But what matters is the extremy hypocrisy of Ron Paul and his Bush-bashing supporters.

Would they have rejected Bush's (Rove's) help in 1996, cause the "evil Bush" is an establishment Republican?

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 4:44pm | #

Dondero, please tell us what a wonderful job Bush has done in office. Are you one of the 30%ers or what?

Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 4:45pm | #

Zevatron, you're right, what matters most is what they've both done since.

Karl Rove has helped Bush fight the War on Islamo-Fascism, and the rise of Radical Islam worldwide and here in the United States.

Ron Paul, supposedly a champion of liberty, has been AWOL.

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 4:50pm | #

Dondero, do you approve of Bush's job performance or not?

lunchstealer | August 13, 2007, 4:52pm | #

I'm not a historian, but I'm pretty sure that in 1996, Bush hadn't started a pre-emptive war that led to a disasterous occupation, based on trumped up evidence.

I suppose that I'm also hypocritical for criticizing OJ, having once enjoyed the Naked Gun movies? I mean now I think he's a murderer, but how can I square that with the fact that I laughed when he got hit in the crotch with a cactus?

lunchstealer | August 13, 2007, 5:05pm | #

Cesar, yeah, he's a 30%er. 9/11 changed everything. Islamofascism! Scary Terrorists! Be afraid of EVERYTHING except your government blowing things up and detaining people, because we're fighting a war on terror!

brian | August 13, 2007, 5:16pm | #

Eric Dondero

You can't expect me to believe all that drivel on your website is libertarianism. Some is, some isn't. It's pretty much the Republican Party platform, with some exceptions. Here is a list of quotes from your website of things you support.

"unreasonable regulations of sexual lifestyles for consenting adults"

Even "reasonable" regulation of sexual lifestyles of consenting adults is not libertarian.

"a strong and well-equipped Military"

Big, strong, well-equipped government is not libertarian.

"Using the Military to fight terrorists overseas, when necessary, rather than here at home."

Foreign military adventurism is not libertarian.

"beefed up enforcement, more Border Patrol and fencing."

Beefed up government, more government, and government fences. None of the above are libertarian.

"Citizenship only for those who learn English."

Restricting citizenship based on one's chosen language is not libertarian.

Your quote from Romney that you claim is "libertarian": "...I do vehemently oppose practices or business procedures that will allow kids to be exposed to obscenity"


"Balanced Federal Budget through spending cuts, not increased taxes. Broad cuts in rates of spending increases for all federal, state and local governmental programs. Reform of Medicare, Social Security and other entitlement programs through greater reliance on private alternatives."

Where's the single biggest government program, the military, in this?

"Lower gas prices through increased refining capacity and allowance for drilling for oil in Alaska and Coastlines"

This is just simply not true. Oil independence means higher prices, not lower. And drilling there wouldn't even lower prices, since it would have only a marginal impact on global oil supply.

Also: "This week: Islamo-Fascism, problems in the Middle East, Fred Thompson for President, "

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH. A libertarian supporting Thompson...

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 6:11pm | #

Yeah Eric, didn't you ever hear that large standing armies are the biggest threat there is to liberty?

Eric Dondero | August 13, 2007, 8:57pm | #

Sorry Cesar, I've always viewed Islamic Terrorism as the biggest threat to my personal liberties.

I don't see any Military guys wanting to force my lovely wife to wear an ugly black burqa from head to toe, if she wants to go shopping at Walmart.

Cesar | August 13, 2007, 9:28pm | #

Sorry Cesar, I've always viewed Islamic Terrorism as the biggest threat to my personal liberties.

I don't see any Military guys wanting to force my lovely wife to wear an ugly black burqa from head to toe, if she wants to go shopping at Walmart.

Do you read any fucking history at all? Name me one power in history that has gone on imperial missions with a massive military complex that has not degenerated into tyranny. Name. One.

Eddy | August 13, 2007, 9:29pm | #

I for one am shocked that Rove and Co. would have done anything to make sure Ron Paul's congressional seat kept to the (R) side of the aisle. It is politics afterall.

Eric Dondero | August 14, 2007, 9:42am | #

Cesar?

Do I approve of Bush's job performance?

Mixed bag: 50 to 55% good, 45 to 50% bad.

Good: Tax cuts, attacking Taliban in Afghanistan, capturing Saddam (and his two evil murderous sons Uday & Qusay), killing Zarcawi, proposals to privatize Social Security, more appoints of bonafide Libertarians to major cabinet posts than any other President in history (Former Libertarian Party activists Gayle Norton, Bill Evers, et.al.), Strong economy and low unemployment rate.

Bad: Port Dubai deal (!!!), his political correctness and his refusal to call our enemies Islamo-Fascists, his general wimpiness in fighting Islamo-Fascism worldwide (what about Darfur? Somalia? Phillipines?), mostly lackluster performance on securing on borders, and his stupid-ass Nanny-stater Transportation Secretary who wants a crack-down on non-seat belt wearing drivers.

No Bush is okay, but we can do better with Giuliani, Thompson or Romney.

Eric Dondero | August 14, 2007, 9:45am | #

Cesar, umm, name one?

Golly Gee, call me stupid and all. But how about that Island Nation in the Northern Sea, bunch of pale skin white people and all. Talk with a funny accent? And they've got this God-awful obsession with their Queen?

Oh, and they just about invented the modern concept of Democracy.

And they gave us the Beatles and the Stones.

What's the name of that country again? Right on the tip of my tongue.

Eric Dondero | August 14, 2007, 9:48am | #

Cesar, if "large standing armies" are such a threat to our individual liberties, than why is it that every single time we have some big natural dissaster like Katrina, the American public cries and cries and cries to the President, to "Send in the Army"?

And I don't recall of any instances where the President sent in the Army and there were adverse incidents as a result. In fact, the complete opposite is true. The Coast Guard were the HUGE HEROS of Katrina.

lunchstealer | August 14, 2007, 10:33am | #

I don't see any Military guys wanting to force my lovely wife to wear an ugly black burqa from head to toe, if she wants to go shopping at Walmart.

Yeah, that's a realistic threat. They could pull that off, no problem. Thank god we're occupying Iraq, or I'd have already prayed to Mecca twice today. I remember everybody stocking up on burqas in 2002 and 2003, because we were all sure that we were going to be turned Muslim at the end of an AK47.

TrickyVic | August 14, 2007, 10:50am | #

Eric, that a very selective use of history. That country you speak of use to cut people into sections and stick their heads on a pike.

lunchstealer | August 14, 2007, 11:22am | #

I believe also that somebody ended up having to actually fight them off in a pretty long war because of the taxes required to support that standing army.

And do you expect to be taken seriously pointing out how awesome the Coast Guard is when people are discussing the imperialist temptations of a large standing army? That's just being obtuse. Or seriously retarded.

Cesar | August 14, 2007, 1:19pm | #

So Eric wants us to be the British Empire? At least hes honest.

You might want to look at Ireland and India, not to mention Africa, before you wish that on us Eric.

And they never did have a large army. Only a large navy.

Arthur P. | August 15, 2007, 6:46pm | #

ROVE:One of the worst men in Washington DC ever. Go ! We would not have you to be kind over us. You leave trash and wreckage beyond belief. Irreparable harm. A man with very little grace, humanity. No great soul or spirit here. Horrible. The force behind the sham presidency. Not enough words or exact words to express my judgments of this man. Go to heaven ! Stay hidden in TX. I don't care if I ever see you again. Get investigated and if probable cause (and there is a lot of it), get charged and prosecuted. If found guilty, go to jail for years and years to come.