Posted Aug. 14, 2007 – The departure of Karl Rove from the White House is the best news many Black lawmakers say they’ve heard in a long time. 

“Karl Rove is moving on down the road,” President Bush announced Monday just before departing for his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and it didn’t take long for the cheers to start echoing through the Black community.

“Karl Rove was an architect of a political strategy that has left the country more divided, the special interests more powerful, and the American people more shut out from their government than any time in memory,” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill,) said Monday.

Maryland Democratic Congressman Elijah Cumming’s had a similar reaction. “On the heels of the announced resignation of Karl Rove, I am hopeful for the future of our country,” said the former head of the Congressional Black Caucus. “Mr. Rove has been a major influence on what have often been negative, polarizing, impulsive and disparaging policy decisions by the Bush administration.”

Many of those American people “shut out” by Rove where Black folks.  He’s credited as the driving force behind the charge to disfranchise Black voters in two presidential elections.   He was also the gatekeeper during BET News’ repeated unsuccessful attempts to interview the president.  After the umpteenth request, a White House aid finally told me that Rove would never approve it.    

The president said Monday that he’s “been talking to Karl for a while about his desire to spend more time with Darby and Andrew.  This is a family that has made enormous sacrifices, not only for our beloved state of Texas, but for a country we both love.”

In their 34-year friendship, Bush has kept Rove by his side.  Rove served him in his political campaigns and while Bush was governor of Texas before joining the president’s team as deputy chief of staff and senior adviser.

As most Washington insiders know, when someone steps down to spend more time with his/her family, it’s the code word for getting “fired” or being “asked to resign.”  But Rove said he’s been thinking about leaving since last summer. “It always seemed there was a better time to leave somewhere out there in the future.  But now is the time,” he said.

Democrats felt the brunt of policies and strategies masterminded by Rove when the Republicans controlled the House and the Senate.  Armed with only a high school diploma, Rove may have outsmarted some of the best political minds in Washington.  A self-proclaimed history buff, his role in the Bush legacy will be analyzed by scholars for years to come.

The president’s chief of staff, John Bolton, isn’t letting on if Rove will be replaced – so we’ll just have to wait and see. You can bet that Black lawmakers in particular will be paying close attention to who might step into Rove’s shoes.

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