Karl Rove Leaving The White House...

...unfortunately, it's a voluntary exit accompanied by effusive "fare thee wells" and book deals, not an involuntary one accompanied by indictments and perp walks.

From AP, via Yahoo! News -

WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, announced Monday he will 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.

{snip}

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

"I just think it's time," Rove said in an interview at his 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 yes....when the world gets you down - when contempt of Congress citations are imminent, indictments loom on the horizon, when your guy is termed out so the prospects for trampling over honest elections are dim - what else is there to do?

Wrap yourself in flag and family, and get out while the getting's good...

Wonder if the book he is threatening to write will be published before or after the inevitable pardon???

My guess: Before, so that everything he admits to in order to pump book sales can be covered by the pardon.

Reaction to the resignation, courtesy MSNBC, here.

Later!