The Perfect Villain: Karl Rove Resigns

The Bush administration's chief political strategist and architect, who remains one of the Democratic Party's favorite villains, disclosed in an interview published in today's Wall Street Journal he will resign from the White House at the end of August. Pundits have already speculated his departure marks the effective end of the unpopular second-term incumbent's administration. Others have even speculated Rove's resignation signals an opportunity for Republican presidential hopefuls who continue to distance themselves from Bush and his overall unpopularity.

One can easily conclude Rove's relevance within the Bush administration had diminished after the GOP lost control of Congress last November due to the war in Iraq's growing unpopularity and growing discontent with what many Americans concluded was the Bush administration's overall incompetence. Democrats and especially figures within the movement for LGBT rights love to point out Rove's leadership in the effort to use marriage for same-sex couples as a wedge issue in the 2004 presidential election. It worked during that political cycle but it appears Iraq will overshadow any attempts for a repeat on this issue.

Rove's direct involvement in this strategy and the overall politics of the Bush administration over the last seven years cannot go understated. His time, however, came to an end as the country continues to look beyond his boss and long-time friend's administration's conclusion next November.