Via the NYT: Karl Rove, Top Strategist, Is Leaving the White House

Karl Rove, the political adviser who masterminded President George W. Bush’s two winning presidential campaigns, is resigning.

In an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Rove said, “I just think it’s time,” adding, “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.”

Mr. Rove said he had first considered leaving a year ago but stayed after his party lost the crucial midterm elections last fall, putting Congress in Democratic hands, and Mr. Bush’s problems mounted in Iraq and in his pursuit of a new immigration policy.

He said his hand was forced when the White House chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, recently told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day they would be expected to stay through the rest of Mr. Bush’s term.

This is somewhat surprising, as one would have thought that Rove would’ve stuck it out until the very end. One wonders if he is seeking a break before working with a new candidate for the ‘08 cycle. By the same token, it wouldn’t surprise me that he is tired of DC. The pressure from the Congress over the US Attorneys situation and so forth was likely an incentive as well.

There is more at the WSJ, which states that Rove plans to write a book and perhaps teach and indicates that there are no campaigns in his future.