The American Mind

Karl Rove is leaving the building. After seven-plus years advising candidate then President Bush Rove will go back to Texas to “be with his family,” the standard Washington cliche for resigning. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Paul Gigot we learn that a big reason Rove’s leaving now is Chief of Staff Josh Bolton told staffers that he expected them to stay on until the end of Bush’s second term if they stayed past Labor Day.

Power Line’s Scott Johnson notes Rove has been turned into a myth. One of the supposed evil deeds of the Rasputin-like creature was supposedly orchestrating the weblogger attack on Dan Rather in 2004.

Allahpundit discovered Diggers want Rove tried for treason, locked in jail, and help in public shame for all eternity.

Then there’s the first casualty from the Iowa straw poll. Tommy Thompson pulled out. A sixth-place finish didn’t meet his own expectations:

Before the straw poll was held Saturday, Thompson had said repeatedly that, if he didn’t finish in the top two, his campaign was likely to end. In June, Thompson wrote on his campaign Web site that candidates finishing in the bottom half of the straw poll should withdraw and support the rest of the Republican candidates.

Thompson netted just 7% of the vote in the 11-person field.

Romney scored about 31% of the vote, to outpace former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had 18%. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback was third with 15%.

Thompson had focused on doing well at the Iowa straw poll, banking on a first- or second-place finish that would propel his ability to raise funds, garner national media attention and give a boost to his campaign momentum.

“If we could have willed a victory, we would have,” Steve Grubbs, senior adviser to Thompson’s campaign, said Sunday.

“No candidate is more experienced than Governor Thompson and no candidate worked harder, but sometimes the dynamics just aren’t there to bring about a victory.”

Tommy may have been fine on the stump but with the few chances he had to impress national audiences he failed. Complaining you had to go to the bathroom during a debate didn’t garner empathy. And fumbling with his words reminded voters about one thing they don’t like about President Bush. Still, Tommy worked hard and tried to inject some different ideas in the race. His Iraq solution was well-thought out, and his health care ideas seem to have snagged by a few other candidates.

I always wondered how serious Tommy’s run was. He never made the appearance of untying himself from his many business interests. But Tommy did travel across Iowa like he really wanted to win. He couldn’t resist the call of his ego, something that made him a Wisconsin political legend. The effort didn’t work out, but now Tommy can spend that energy making money. He did a lot for Wisconsin; it’s good for him to start doing something for himself.

“Karl Rove to Resign At the End of August”

“‘The Mark of Rove‘”

Disclaimer: I work for Friends of Fred Thompson.