Karl Rove Resigns
I suspect this news arriving via the Wall Street Journal might generate some buzz in political circles (h/t Drudge)…
Karl Rove, President Bush’s longtime political adviser, is resigning as White House deputy chief of staff effective Aug. 31, and returning to Texas, marking a turning point for the Bush presidency.
Cable news is playing it big this morning, but face it: His dirty work’s already done. It’s no skin off Dubya’s nose at this point.
Good riddance to the Prince of Darkness.
Greg —
Actually, “The Prince of Darkness,” is Bob Novak . . . I just finished his memoir by the same name, and it’s terrific.
Maybe I’ll be one of the few to say this, but I think Karl Rove is great. He may be the only thing that stood between us and John Kerry . . . He clearly figured out the way to a majority for Pres. Bush in 2004, and he has withstood constant attacks from pundits of the left, center, and right.
I hope he’s able to make a lot of money in private industry; he deserves it.
Rove has been a great public servant. I think he has changed the course of history and contributed a lot to the Bush White House.
“I think he has changed the course of history and contributed a lot to the Bush White House.”
I agree with that and I don’t know if that’s a good thing.
I think Karl is leaving at the appropriate time. I’ve met him before and he is nothing like he’s portrayed in the media. He’s very personable, quick-witted, and most of all, very optimistic (some might argue, too much).
More importantly, I think the timing of his departure is beneficial to the GOP presidential contenders, in that his presence will no longer be able to be used by liberals as a kind of scapegoat for all things wrong. On the whole, I think he did a generally good job during his tenure — although I didn’t always agree with certain positions he took, especially as it related to a certain unnamed local race. I also think he may have stayed a little longer than was actually helpful to the administration. I’m guessing he already has a book deal in the works.
Having just finished Novak’s book, it is very interesting to compare Rove’s tenure with what Carville & Begala did.
Carville never went to the White House, choosing instead to cash in on his Clinton connection from the very beginning, making huge $$ for himself. Begala worked at the White House for a while, but still cashed in well before year 7 of Clinton.
Rove stayed on in public service.
I don’t criticize Carville & Begala for making money . . . but I do find it somewhat ironic that it was the Democrats who chose to turn their political connections into early cash, while the “evil genius” Rove stayed in public service longer.
Karl Rove, indeed, served the American public.
Josef Goebbels also served the German public.
Rhody —
Do you really believe the Bush/Hitler Rove/Goebbels analogy?
We’ve been hearing that ridiculous comparison from the Left for the past seven years . . . Only a person with no knowledge of history would persist with such nonsense.
I’m sorry, Brass. You are correct in saying my anology is a bit outdated. Perhaps I should be comparing Rove to Saddam or bin Laden’s right-hand men instead.
Let Turd Blossom (if that’s what a friend nicknames him…) go write his book or take his think tank job. I don’t begrudge him making a few bucks in the private sector – he can’t do any more damage to democracy than he’s already wreaked.
Rove is a bright guy who did a good job and that makes left-wingers hate him in the same way that many conservatives hate James Carville. You have to respect their talent.