Comment Central: Karl Rove's dirty secret

Karl Rove, the controversial Republican political strategist who masterminded President Bush's election-winning campaigns in 2000 and 2004, dramatically resigned today with a tearful statement describing his boss as a "man of far-sighted courage".

Giving a short press conference on the White House lawn alongside the President, Mr Rove announced that he would leave his job on August 31 to spend more time with his family, saying that serving Mr Bush had been "the joy and honour of a lifetime".

The President also paid tribute to his aide, describing him as a "dear friend" and noting, with his own departure date also near: "I’ll be on the road behind you in a bit."

The hawkish chief political strategist's resignation today, which was initially disclosed in a Wall Street Journal interview, comes as Mr Bush’s poll ratings remain at their lowest since his 2000 election.

The President has previously described Rove as his "Boy Genius" and the aide has also been dubbed "Bush's Brain" by the President's liberal opponents.

His departure is the latest in a lengthening list of aides leaving the White House as the autumn of Mr Bush's Premiership draws on. It comes little over two months after it was announced that Dan Bartlett, the President's longest-serving aide, was also quitting to take a job outside government.

In his emotional statement announcing his resignation, Mr Rove backed the President's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with his economic policies and other domestic initiatives.

"I’m grateful to have been a witness to history," Mr Rove said, his voice shaking. "It has been the joy and the honour of a lifetime. At the month’s end I will join those whom you meet in your travels, the ordinary Americans, who tell you they are praying for you."

The President said: "We’ve been friends for a long time and we’re still going to be friends. I would call Karl Rove a dear friend. I thank my friend. I’ll be on the road behind you in a bit."

Earlier today, Rove had stunned the US political world by suddenly announcing his departure in the Wall Street Journal.

"I just think it’s time," he was quoted as saying. "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."

However, Mr Rove made it clear that he had not lost faith in the embattled President, and predicted that the Republicans would fend off a strong challenge from the Democrats to retain their grip on the White House.

"He will move back up in the polls," Rove told the Journal, referring to the President's dip in public support, claiming his approval rating is closer to 40 per cent than the 30 per cent widely quoted.

In a parting shot at the Democrats, Rove, who has worked for Mr Bush for more than a decade, added that the party was likely to nominate a "fatally flawed candidate" to fight its next presidential election campaign, in an apparent reference to Hillary Clinton.

As well as Democrat criticism over his partisan and hawkish outlook, some of Mr Rove's biggest difficulties came over investigations into his conduct.

The US Senate issued a subpoena against him last month as part of an investigation into the sacking of eight federal prosecutors, but the President ordered him not to testify, citing rules over executive privilege.

In addition, he has also been investigated in connection with the exposure of CIA agent Valerie Plame, though prosecutors decided he should not face any charges. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former chief of staff to Dick Cheney, the US Vice-President, was eventually sentenced to 30 months in prison for lying to an investigation about the leaking of her identity to the press.

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