Karl Rove

Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the presidency of George W. Bush until his resignation on August 31, 2007. Rove also headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, and garnered widespread political influence in the Bush White House. During the 2000s, Rove was involved in the Plame affair, and was one of the chief architects of the rationale for the Iraq War. Prior to his White House appointments, he is credited with the 1994 and 1998 Texas gubernatorial victories of George W. Bush, as well as Bush's 2000 and 2004 successful presidential campaigns. In his 2004 victory speech, Bush referred to Rove as "the Architect". Rove has also been credited for the successful campaigns of John Ashcroft (1994 U.S. Senate election), Bill Clements (1986 Texas gubernatorial election), Senator John Cornyn (2002 U.S. Senate election), Governor Rick Perry (1990 Texas Agriculture Commission election), and Phil Gramm (1982 U.S. House and 1984 U.S. Senate elections). Since leaving the White House, Rove has worked as a political analyst and contributor for Fox News, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal.