KARL ROVE QUITS

White House aide Karl Rove is resigning as deputy chief of staff effective August 31.

He'd dreamed of creating a "permanent Republican majority" only to wake up from a political nightmare last fall when voters elected a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich placed the blame for Republican losses last year squarely on Mr Rove.

Mr Rove told the Wall Street Journal he wants to spend more time with his family -- a political cliche. Speculation has already emerged that his resignation is aimed at avoiding a raft of Congressional investigations. (WSJ)

UPDATE: A tearful good-bye at the White House as President Bush said Mr Rove "is moving on down the road" and "I'll be on the road behind you here in a little bit."

"It always seemed there was a better time to leave, somewhere out there in the future. But now is the time." -- Karl Rove at the White House, August 13, 2007

Mr Rove's comments only added to the speculation that he was looking for a time to get out. There are reports he talked about leaving last year -- but leaving during an election year, while he was part of the Scooter Libby case, could have been seized upon for political ammunition by the Democrats. (CNN)

VIDEO: See CNN video of the Bush/Rove news conference

ROVE SUBPOENAED

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has subpoenaed White House aide Karl Rove in the on going investigation of the US Attorney firings.

“It is obvious that the reasons given for the firings of these prosecutors were contrived as part of a cover-up and that the stonewalling by the White House is part and parcel of that same effort.” -- Sen Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the letter accompanying Mr Rove's subpoena

The Committee also subpoenaed White House aide Scott Jennings in the investigation. In the cover letter, Sen Leahy gave Mr Rove one week to appear before the Committee and testify under oath. (The Hill)

The Rove Cover Letter

The Rove Subpoena

Rove Fears YouTube

White House adviser Karl Rove gets the jitters from YouTube. Speaking at Texas State University, the one time go-to guy for Republican campaigns questioned the credibility of the vast sources of information these days. From the American-Statesman:

"Referring to YouTube, the video site that's a must-see for many, Rove said: 'That can disrupt anything. Just ask former Sen. George Allen.'"

ThinkProgress.org points out it was not YouTube -- but Sen Allen's own racial slur caught on tape that disrupted his political career. (Statesman.com/ThinkProgress.org)