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WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, who set the political strategy for US President George W. Bush's two White House victories and became a favourite target for critics, said on Monday he was resigning and returning home to Texas.
The White House deputy chief of staff known as "The Architect" for guiding Bush from governor of Texas to president is the latest senior aide to quit as the Bush presidency draws toward its close in early 2009.
"The world's turned many times since our journey began," an emotional Rove, 56, said with Bush at his side on the White House's South Lawn.
"I will miss, deeply miss my work here, my colleagues and the opportunity to serve you and our nation."
His last day at the White House is August 31.
Bush, before heading with his friend of 34 years to start a two-week Texas vacation, said, "We're still going to be friends ... I'll be on the road behind you here in a little bit."
The departure of the fiercely partisan Rove marks the end of a close collaboration between Bush and the aide dubbed "Bush's brain," who won respect from admirers for his command of political machinery and his drive for an enduring Republican dominance of government.
Rove, who made harnessing the votes of conservative Christians a key election strategy, helped Republicans expand their majorities in the US Congress after Bush won the White House in a contested 2000 election.
But the two suffered a major setback in 2006 when Democrats won control of the US Senate and House of Representatives.
His departure could further undermine Bush's chances of completing his agenda during the next 17 months. Some critics have pointed to the protracted Iraq war and failures to reform Social Security and immigration as part of Rove's legacy.
"Unanswered questions and political division are Rove's legacy," said Sen. John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who lost to Bush in the 2004 presidential election.
Rove has been a controversial figure throughout Bush's presidency.
A special prosecutor investigated him for leaking covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity in a scandal linked to the Iraq war but he was never charged and Bush gave him unbending support.
Democrats in Congress have also had Rove in their sights as they look into why nine US prosecutors were fired. The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed him over the issue, but Bush cited executive privilege to reject it.
Democrats suspect the firings were intended to influence probes of Democratic or Republican lawmakers as well as election fraud investigations. Bush has said they were justified but mishandled.
"There is a cloud over this White House, and a gathering storm," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a Vermont Democrat. "A similar cloud envelopes Mr. Rove, even as he leaves the White House."
Leaving for Texas
Rove's departure leaves just a few senior advisers who have been with Bush since he took office, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and comes as Bush's approval rating hovers near historic lows, mainly because of Iraq. One of his most trusted advisers, Dan Bartlett, left in July after 13 years in Bush's inner circle.
Still, Rove predicted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that Bush "will move back up in the polls."
Rove told the newspaper's conservative editorial page that he had been thinking of leaving a year ago but decided against departing right after the election losses last November. He was also pulled into issues including Iraq and immigration reform.
"There's always a big project to work on, and his strategic abilities -- and our need for his support -- kept him here," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Rove was planning to return to Texas, instead of hitting the already hot 2008 presidential campaign trail, the Journal said. He and his wife have a home in Ingram and a son attending college in San Antonio.
He also plans to write a book about the Bush presidency, the newspaper said.
- REUTERS
