Texas Hold'em: Andy Card is Dealt, Is Rove on the River?

Texas Hold-Em: Andy Card is Dealt, Is Rove on The River?

Is an exit from the White House the final tactic of master strategist Karl Rove?

Karl Rove is the only hi-profile White House insider whose resignation would garner attention equal to or surpassing that of Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld. Rove’s resignation would boost Bush’s poll numbers, satiate hungry Democrats and preserve the President’s legacy by holding onto his VP and SecDef.

The New York Daily News and Washington Post report Rove and Card as significant participants in the (WHIG’s) White House Iraq Groups marketing of the Iraq War. Think “mushroom clouds.” Reportedly, Rove received some stern criticism from Bush on this marketing and was fighting for his life. Being that the war is the biggest thorn in Bush’s side; a Rove resignation could boost Bush immediately. Wunderkind that he may be, Rove doesn’t have the old time Washington insider status like Cheney or Rumsfeld.

Rove doesn’t get hurt in the resignation. He is gracefully moving aside to allow the new chief of staff impediment free latitude. Additionally, Rove doesn’t need any titles to do what he does best. Being out of sight may actually be a boon for him. Most importantly, if the Bush administration was given a heads up that the Valerie Plame investigation would soon be knocking on Rove’s door then he would have to go anyway. A resignation of the Deputy Chief of Staff following that of the Chief of Staff may be the most palatable and graceful exit available in such circumstances.

Mr. Rove is a genius. Is it possible that after handing in his resignation Karl Rove could watch the President extract himself from a heavy chunk of the Iraq mess and the entire Plame affair? What would Mr. Rove say in such a situation? Probably, “We did it again. By George, we did it again.”