Rove To Leave White House

GOOD NEWS TRAVELS FAST: BUT HE’S TRYING TO GET AWAY WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD…CHENEY NEXT?

ANALYSIS: ROVE BOWS OUT DESPISED AND DEIFIED

By: Jim VandeHei Aug 13, 2007 07:15 AM EST

Karl Rove will leave George Bush's side this month one of the most controversial political figures in living memory.

The verdict on his legacy will be similarly conflicted: He can claim credit for political victories of historic proportions, but also stands accused of policy failures and a strategy of divisiveness.

Rove, in keeping with his ideological inclinations, announced his retirement plans on the conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal.

Like many who call it quits -- and the number leaving the White House continues to rise as President Bush's term grinds to an end -- he cited a desire to return to family, for him in Texas.

"I just think it's time," he told the Journal's Paul A. Gigot. Rove was as uncompromising and optimistic as ever in disclosing his departure, predicting a Bush resurgence and Democratic divisions over Iraq ahead.

He expressed little regret and defended what many Republicans consider his most questionable decisions: pursuing a strategy that divided the country and provided little margin for error; trying to overhaul Social Security when his party did not want to; and pushing Bush to draw sharp lines on foreign policy and accuse Democrats of dangerous shortcoming on national security.

Rove will soon be gone -- but it will be a long time before he is forgotten. One can not overstate how much Democrats loathe Rove, and desperately want him dragged into numerous congressional investigations of the Bush White House. House and Senate Democrats are trying to force his testimony in the firing of U.S. attorneys.

There is much more to come, Democrats tell the Politico.

Rove said he fully expects accusations that he is leaving under pressure. "I know they'll say that," he told the Journal. "But I'm not going to leave or stay based on whether it pleases the mob."

Either way, Rove is not leaving on a high note. Most Americans do not approve of Bush's performance in office, and especially the his management of the war. The days of big policy dreaming are over, as White House officials focus mostly on the upcoming budget fight and the never-ending battle over the war.

The domestic policies Rove championed with an eye on changing the GOP and history - most notably overhauling the Social Security system and immigration laws - are dead. Few Republicans want to bring them back to life.

Rove's political record is much more impressive. He masterminded back-to-back presidential wins in tough environments. With Rove at the helm, Republicans picked up seats in the off-year elections of 2002 -- the first time that happened since 1934. The 2004 elections were similarly historic. Bush won the White House and helped the GOP pick up congressional seats, despite an increasingly unpopular war. Rove did this by mastering the nuts and bolts of politics: raising money and perfecting efforts to maximize turnout in counties and states that tip national elections.

One of the most controversial tactics Rove used was drawing sharp contrasts to motivate conservatives after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This helped boost turnout but it also left the GOP with little margin for error, especially when dealing with Democrats in Congress.

And even his political cunning proved to have his limits. Despite his efforts to keep Congress in Republican hands in the final days of the Bush presidency, the GOP lost its majorities in both houses of Congress in 2006 -- even though the Democrats had to take six seats from them to wrest control of the Senate away.

The final election he oversaw for the GOP came as the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby loomed, and although Rove himself was never prosecuted over the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, his name will be indelibly linked with the scandal. Keep an eye on Politico.com for regularly updated news and analysis on Washington after Rove.

Rove to Leave White HouseChicago Tribune, United States - 42 minutes agoBy TERENCE HUNT AP White House Correspondent 5:51 AM CDT, August 13, 2007 WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political ...Rove, power broker in White House shadows The AgeKarl Rove, Top Strategist, Is Leaving the White House New York TimesKarl Rove To Quit ForbesReuters Canada - CNNall 463 news articles »


WPXI.com
Karl Rove Is ResigningCBS News, NY - 1 hour ago(CBS/AP) Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the administration at the end of August, the White House ...Political strategist to leave office Poughkeepsie JournalRove to resign from White House USA Todayall 51 news articles »

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Karl Rove leaving the White HouseUSA Today - 1 hour agoKarl Rove, President Bush's top political strategist, is leaving the administration at the end of August, the White House just announced. ...Karl Rove Resigns! "MC Rove" Is Out Post Chronicleall 2 news articles »

Karl Rove's long history with the Bush familyHouston Chronicle, United States - 12 minutes agoBy AP © 2007 AP 1973 — Rove became chairman of the College Republicans. During his time in Washington, DC, he became a special assistant to Republican ...

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Hollywood Today Newsmagazine
Hollywood and Anti-War Activists to Cheer Rove Exit from White HouseHollywood Today Newsmagazine, CA - 25 minutes agoAs the Washington Post described him, “Rove is the pudgy uber-operative also known as Bush’s Brain, who helped put a brush-clearing conservative Christian ...Bush needs to announce new civil rights initiatives Los Angeles Wave Newspapersall 2 news articles »

Karl Rove To Resign At Month's EndWJZ, MD - 1 hour ago(CBS News) WASHINGTON Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, ...

Karl Rove to Resign at the End of AugustNorth County Times, CA - 10 minutes agoBy TERENCE HUNT WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, ...

Report: Karl Rove To Resign At Month's EndCBS 42, TX - 1 hour ago(CBS) WASHINGTON Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the administration at the end of August, ...

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Radio Utopie
Karl Rove: Braindeath Of Bush´s US PresidencyRadio Utopie, Germany - 11 minutes agoRove was a political consultant almost exclusively for US Republican candidates (3). Rove's election campaign clients have included George W. Bush (2000 and ...

Karl Rove resigns from White House postWKYC-TV, OH - 1 hour agoThe White House says Rove plans to leave the administration at the end of August. A longtime member of Bush's inner circle, Rove was nicknamed "the ...

Rove talks about decision to quitKJCT8.com, CO - 10 minutes agoAP - August 13, 2007 7:23 AM ET WHITE HOUSE (AP) - Karl Rove is talking about his impending departure in an interview in today's Wall Street Journal. ...

Rove quitting to spend more time with his iPhoneNetworkWorld.com, MA - 15 minutes agoPresidential political advisor Karl Rove, perhaps the most controversial figure in history’s most unpopular administration, has told the Wall Street Journal ...

Rove exiting...Decision due from NASA...Griffin remembered ...KXMC, ND - 48 minutes agoChief political strategist Karl Rove is resigning at the end of August to spend more time with his family. A presidential spokeswoman calls it a "big loss. ...
Rove resigning...Endeavour repairs?...Miner on his close call ... Reiten Television KXMB Bismarckall 5 news articles »

Radio Utopie
Karl Rove: Braindeath Of Bush´s US PresidencyRadio Utopie, Germany - 12 minutes agoRove was a political consultant almost exclusively for US Republican candidates (3). Rove's election campaign clients have included George W. Bush (2000 and ...

Karl Rove resigns from White House postWKYC-TV, OH - 1 hour agoThe White House says Rove plans to leave the administration at the end of August. A longtime member of Bush's inner circle, Rove was nicknamed "the ...

Rove to resign White House post at end of AugustWAVE, KY - 9 minutes agoKarl Rove is a longtime member of Bush's inner circle who the president nicknamed "the architect" for designing the strategy that twice won Bush the White ...

Rove talks about decision to quitKRQE, NM - 9 minutes agoAP - August 13, 2007 7:23 AM ET WHITE HOUSE (AP) - Karl Rove is talking about his impending departure in an interview in today's Wall Street Journal. ...

Rove talks about decision to quit KXNet.com North Dakota NewsKXMC, ND - 11 minutes agoAP WHITE HOUSE (AP) Karl Rove is talking about his impending departure in an interview in today's Wall Street Journal. The presidential strategist says he's ...

Rolly: Mitt Romney appears to have taken a page from Karl Rove's ...Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Aug 11, 2007But Romney seems to have become afflicted with Karl Rove-itis - a political disease that seduces candidates into relying on meaningless name-calling for the ...

BBC News
The 'architect' leaves the White HouseBBC News, UK - 16 minutes agoBy Paul Reynolds I first saw Karl Rove standing to one side during a news conference by then Republican presidential candidate Governor George W Bush ...

Have Gifts, Will TravelSlate - 1 hour agoKarl Rove tells the WSJ's editorial page editor, Paul Gigot, he's resigning on Aug. 31. "I just think it's time," Rove said. He admits it might look like ...

Cheney helped force Rove out
by Jackson Thoreau Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com

Dick Cheney helped force George W. Bush to finally agree to dump top aide Karl Rove, sources say.

Cheney and Rove have engaged in a mostly behind-the-scenes feud since the indictment of Cheney's top aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, in 2005. Rove was included as "Official A" in the indictment who also leaked information to key media members to try to discredit Iraqi war critic Joseph Wilson.

Rove did not get indicted after giving depositions five times in the investigation and changing some of his statements.

Cheney, who reportedly masterminded the vendetta campaign against Wilson himself, thought that Rove blamed the scandal on Libby, who he considered a scapegoat. Rove and Cheney have been at each other's throats since.

Cheney's lobbying efforts to convince Bush to dump Rove were aided by Rove's dismal efforts in the 2006 elections and role in ensuing scandals involving the political firings of attorneys general and the improper use by White House aides of Republican National Committee email accounts.
Even Bush knew Rove had become too big of a liability.

Rove's lies that he is resigning to spend more time with his family, including a second wife and son in college who won't be around anyway, are laughable, to say the least.Perhaps Rove wants to spend more time with his gay stepfather, the one who left Rove and his suicidal mother during Christmas time one year, to talk about "family values."

Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
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Jackson Thoreau is a Washington, D.C.-area journalist/writer. His latest book, "Born to Cheat: How Bush, Cheney, Rove & Co. Broke the Rules, From the Sandlot to the White House," debuted at the Take Back America conference in June 2007. More info on the book is at http://www.geocities.com/jacksonthor/cheat.html

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August 13, 2007 at 08:18:00

Rove Announcement Shows How Murdoch's Wall Street Journal Buy Affects WSJ and Fox News

by Rob Kall Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com

Fox News has announced that it will have the man who broke the news on their show shortly. That man, Paul Gigot, is the editorial page editor of the WSJ.It looks like Fox News is the first to have access to Gigot.

It has been the pattern for the White house and the Bush administration to favor it's most faithful television news /stenography network-- FOX News-- with key interviews. It looks like the Wall Street Journal will now be included in the "inside the echo chamber" family.

Rove gives the story to the WSJ, boosting it's print sales, then the WSJ provides its editor to Fox News first.

Let's be clear.

This is not in any way that I can see tainting or corrupting the actual information or writing of the news. But it does affect who gets it and when and it clearly affects the flow of the first access to breaking news.

THis means it also affects which viewers will see the news first.

This single example makes it clear that Fox News TV will benefit dramatically from the WSJ purchase, especially before Murdoch goes live, in October, with his new project Fox Business.

If I owned the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, I'd make sure that any hot news the Journal got would be funneled to my TV network. I'd make sure that inside info that could be discussed by Wall Street Journal staffers would be discussed with anchors on Fox, not CNN or MSNBC or any of the othe networks.

That's just smart business and who can blame Murdoch.Only time will tell if or how Murdoch will influence the WSJ's actual reporting, or witholding of news. But it's clear that already, the deal has influenced the flow of the news and WHICH networks will get news the WSJ gets its hands on first.

And once it is handed over to Fox news, where they get first crack at spinning it, then, while, technically, the Wall Street Journal may not have tainted the news, or its reporting, it's handing it to spinmasters at Fox, can very well alter the meaning or interpretation of the facts the WSJ reports.

Bottom line-- Murdoch's canny purchase of the Wall Street Journal is clearly another nail in the coffin of the general health of the state of news reporting as whole. It will further enable Murdoch to influence the processing of the news by the rest of the news media, particularly as real investigative reporting is starved by less and less funds, leading more and more networks and news sources to depending upon organizations like the Wall Street journal to actual PAY for investigative news journalists.

Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, and organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.

BTW, the book Rob's holding in his photo is "HISTORY OF THE REBELLION" volume 3. by Edward, Earl of Clarendon, published 1816, describing the rebellion among the Irish and Scots, around 1656. This was a religious war between the Church of England, Catholics and Presbyterians. The Earl, writing for the Queen, calls the Irish far worse than terrorists.

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Bush's Brain to Exit White House
by John R Moffett Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com

Karl Rove has told the Wall Street Journal that he will step down from his position as White House political adviser on August 31.According to standard Republican scripting, Rove will be departing the White House to spend more time with his family.

That is code for behind-the-scenes turmoil. There has been some talk that Cheney and Rove were having disagreements, and one possible point of contention could be Dick Cheney's push to bomb Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Perhaps Rove does not want to be present for that upcoming debacle.

Other possibilities include the fact that Rove is hoping to avoid any subpoenas from Congress concerning the firings of US attorneys, or that Rove will just be moving to a stealth advisory position, where he can continue to work behind the scenes without accountability.The most likely reason behind the departure is that Karl Rove thoroughly botched the 2006 election. Everything from the incidents of vote caging to the voter suppression techniques used in places like Florida and Ohio were Karl Rove productions, and all of these failed miserably. So it is just possible that Karl Rove is leaving because his bag of tricks is empty, just like Bush’s cranium.

http://www.factinista.org

Dr. John Moffett is an active research neuroscientist in the Washington, DC area, who has published articles on the nervous and immune systems. Dr. Moffett is also the author and webmaster of the political opinion website www.Factinista.org.

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