Rove, 56, who escaped indictment in the CIA leak case, has been under scrutiny by the new Democratic Congress for his role in the firings of U.S. attorneys and in a series of political briefings provided to various agencies across government. Citing executive privilege, he defied a subpoena and refused to show up for a congressional hearing just two weeks ago on the allegedly improper use by White House aides of Republican National Committee email accounts. Fellow Bush advisers have said they believe the congressional probes have been aimed in part at driving Rove out.
The White House said his departure was unrelated to the investigations. In an interview published this morning, Rove told Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot that he had been interested in leaving last year but did not want to go immediately after the Democrats took over Congress, nor did he want to abandon Bush as he fought for his troop buildup in Iraq and an immigration overhaul.
"I just think it's time," Rove told Gigot in comments confirmed by the White House. The Journal said White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten told Rove and other senior aides that if they stay past Labor Day, they would be expected to remain through the end of the second term, Jan. 20, 2009.
"There's always something that can keep you here," Rove said, "and as much as I'd like to be here, I've got to do this for the sake of my family."
Rove said he was finished with political consulting and plans to spend much of his time at his house in Ingram, Tex., with his wife, Darby, and near their son, who attends college in San Antonio. He said he plans to write a book about Bush's years in office, a project encouraged by the president, and would like to teach at some point, but has no job lined up for now. He does not plan to work on a presidential campaign nor would he endorse a candidate.
The "official reason" is never the real reason, so it will be interesting to see what happens next. He will probably be indicted on contempt charges in the next few months for refusing to appear before Congress, and this may be related to the legal battles he will face.
But I have a hard time accepting that the mastermind of a campaign to get an unqualified moron elected to the highest office in the land won't be working to put someone else in that seat.
4 comments:
I don't disbelieve the official reason. Rove is damaged goods at this point with many more detractors than supporters. If his name were attached to a campaign, it would immediately be controversial and suspect.
He'll write his book. Everyone connected to the Bush Administration is surely at work on a book that engrandizes the writer and goes after enemies.
Also, it may be that Bush is wanting to try to get things set up for a last chapter to his presidency with there being some comity with congress, so that he might get something, albeit something very minor, done before he leaves office.
My prediction: Gonzales will be gone, too, very very soon. This, too, might please congress.
Wud I tell ya? Gad, I'm Nostra-damn-us! Goodbye Rove and Gonzo. Bush still wants to accomplish something domestically before he is, himself, added to the dustbin of history. Also, I would bet, the Republicans in congress had been pressuring the West Wing to clean out the trash in hope of salvaging a respectable performance by the Repo party in the 08 election.
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