Oooh, nuance!

Holy Giant Green Lizard, Batman!

WASHINGTON — Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

On board with Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" and "boy genius" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House. Critics call Rove "Bush's brain."

A criminal investigation put Rove under scrutiny for months during the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name but he was never charged with any crime. In a more recent controversy, Rove, citing executive privilege, has refused to testify before Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

What could the reason possibly be for Bush's beloved right-hand man to leave now, right before the poop hits the fan in September when Congress reconvenes? Yet another Iraq war vote looms, with more Republic defections almost inevitable; inherent contempt charges may be in the works for Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers; there are movements to impeach Alberto Gonzales and Dick Cheney, and censure motions for Bush, Cheney and Gonzales as well; and of course, the Pat Tillman investigation will continue. Why, oh why would KKKarl desert his best buddy Bush in his time of greatest need?

Rove is expected to write a book after he leaves. He disclosed his departure in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

He said he decided to leave after White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day they would be obliged to remain through the end of the president's term in January 2009.

"I just think it's time," Rove said in an interview at this home on Saturday. He first floated the idea of leaving to Bush a year ago, the newspaper said, and friends confirmed he'd been talking about it even earlier. However, he said he didn't want to depart right after the Democrats regained control of Congress and then got drawn into policy battles over the Iraq war and immigration.

"There's always something that can keep you here, and as much as I'd like to be here, I've got to do this for the sake of my family," said Rove, who has been in the White House since Bush took office in 2001.

Ah, KKKarl. You don't get it, do you? You're not creating reality any more, and no one is going to buy your book (or have you done "The Math" on that too?). Those who know who you are, simply despise you. And as for the "spend more time with your family" canard? That's Washingtonese for "They're on to me."

The Congressional investigations into the Justice Department attorney firing/election fraud scandal have unearthed KKKarl's name again and again as the source of the corruption. He was also involved in the leaking of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to the media, which is a treasonous offense. He's currently ducking a subpoena by claiming "executive privilege", which, unless he's actually claiming he's the President, is ludicrous on its face. What a glorious record as a public servant!

And as for his brilliance? Well, let me sum up his career:

• Decades of lying, cheating and stealing to get to the top of the food chain and achieve a "permanent Republican majority"


• 6 whole years of Republic dominance


• A huge Republic defeat in 2006 and an even huger one predicted in 2008; a Republic Party so crippled by scandal and unpopular right-wing positions that KKKarl pushed on them that they are poised for permanent minority status

KARL ROVE IS A GENIUS!

Buh-bye, KKKarl. If your family wants to spend more time with you, they must be the only ones. America can't wait to see the back of your slimy white head.