The Departure of Bush’s Closest Advisor

What happened

Karl Rove, President Bush's closest and longest-serving advisor, announced this week that he would resign at the end of the month. One of the most controversial figures in American politics, Rove was instrumental in shaping both policy decisions and Republican campaign strategies. 'œI'm grateful to have been a witness to history,' said Rove, appearing with Bush outside the White House. Rove, nicknamed 'œthe architect' by Bush and 'œBush's brain' by his critics, said he wanted to spend more time with his family and write a book about Bush's presidency. He has been by Bush's side since 1993, when Bush first ran for governor of Texas.

Rove's departure comes as congressional Democrats have intensified their investigations into his role in the dismissal of U.S. attorneys and the improper use of government agencies for political purposes. He recently invoked executive privilege in defying a subpoena to testify before the Senate. Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Rove 'œhas added his name to the list' of officials who resigned to avoid congressional scrutiny. Rove said his departure was unrelated to the administration's increasingly testy relations with Congress. 'œThe people who are saying that are suggesting that if the rooster crows enough and the sun comes up, it's because of the rooster,' Rove said.

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What the editorials said

Love him or hate him, said The Hartford Courant, Rove has 'œa record of success that puts his contemporaries to shame.' In 2000, he helped Bush defeat a charismatic war hero, John McCain, in the primaries, and a sitting vice president, Al Gore, in the general election. In 2002, he engineered the Republican takeover of Congress. And in 2004, he shocked Democrats who thought they had Bush on the ropes. 'œIn large part due to his genius, the Republican Party came closer to being a majority governing party than it had been in some 70 years.'

But his fatal mistake, said The Boston Globe, was using 'œthe same take-no-prisoners techniques in governing.' Rove's agenda was never just to win elections. He wanted to ensure a permanent Republican majority. But his strategy backfired. Instead of working with the other side on issues such as Social Security and immigration, he tried to steamroll the opposition as if he were running another campaign. As a result, he leaves an administration with 'œa meager legacy' of policy accomplishments.

What the columnists said

Cut Rove some slack, said Fred Barnes in The Weekly Standard. For years, Democrats believed he was the boogeyman who secretly orchestrated every Republican success. Now Republicans want to blame him for all their failures. But 'œpolitical advisors like Rove offer advice, not magic.' Bush's agenda stalled because his popularity dipped, largely due to of Iraq. 'œRove's career demonstrates two things: the important role a strategist can play and the sharp limits on what even the best of the bunch can accomplish.'

Actually, the damage this man has inflicted can't be overstated, said Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic Online. The nub of Rove's approach was 'œdivide and conquer,' which may work in campaigns, but is poison as a governing philosophy. After 9/11, Americans were ripe to be united. But Rove took this historic opportunity and 'œthrew it away in a binge of hate-filled niche campaigning, polarization, and short-term expediency.'

It's unfair to blame Rove for polarizing American politics, said Rich Lowry in the New York Post. 'œBush had become a hate figure on the left' starting with the 2000 Florida voting controversy. But if the administration's tough response to 9/11 divided the country, that's what comes from leadership under difficult circumstances. And if Rove played a key role in shaping that response, then he served his nation well.

What next?

The New York Times