Bush’s Brain Retires!

By Pamela Mortimer

On Saturday, Rove gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal, announcing that he has resigned and will leave his office at the end of August. Rove joins a succession of senior officials who have left their positions during the last 18 months of the current administration.

As Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove has seen it all. As a member of the political teams for George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush for over three decades, Rove has been graced with monikers such as "boy genius" and "the architect" due to his fervent dedication to politics and "wonkish love" for policy. Most recently, he has been referred to as "Bush’s Brain" in regards to his role as The President’s senior advisor and as a close personal friend and confidante.

George W. Bush made an appearance alongside Rove on the White House lawn, obviously distressed at his friend’s decision. "Karl Rove is moving on down the road," Bush said. "We've been friends for a long time and we're still going to be friends... I'll be on the road behind you here in a bit," he added, regarding the end of his second term as President.

"I'm grateful to have been a witness to history. It has been the joy and the honor of a lifetime," said Rove, in an often shaky voice. "But now is the time. ... At month's end," Rove said, "I will join those whom you meet in your travels, the ordinary Americans who tell you they are praying for you."

After the press conference and a lengthy hugs from the President and First Lady Laura Bush, Rove joined the procession to the President's helicopter. Rove, his wife, Darby, and their son were scheduled to fly with Bush on Air Force One to Texas, where the President will spend his vacation.

Undoubtedly, the resignation came about as a result of a lengthy criminal investigation that put Rove under close scrutiny for months during the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name whose husband was a critic of the war in Iraq. Rove testified in front of a grand jury five times but was never charged with any crime. Many suspected a cover-up when Rove "corrected errors" in his previous testimonies.

Consequently, the investigation resulted in the conviction of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on charges of lying and obstructing justice. At the beginning of Libby’s trial, the defense told jurors that Libby was the victim of a conspiracy to protect Rove.

The most explicit testimony on Rove came from columnist Robert Novak, who released the name of the CIA operative, Valerie Plame, in a July 2003 column. Novak testified that Rove was one of two officials who provided the information about Plame, while Scooter Libby, with whom Novak seldom spoke, was not a source.

Promises to reveal details of the "Save Rove" conspiracy never materialized.

In more recent news, Rove, refused to testify before Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys, citing executive privilege.Still, many of his friends and colleagues mourn the resignation of the "boy genius".

"Obviously it's a big loss to us," White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino said. "He's a great colleague, a good friend, and a brilliant mind. He will be greatly missed, but we know he wouldn't be going if he wasn't sure this was the right time to be giving more to his family, his wife Darby and their son. He will continue to be one of the president's greatest friends."