Karl Rove, President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and most trusted senior advisor, announced he is resigning at the end of the month. Ron Christie, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, talks about Rove's tough year and considers his legacy. Karl Rove
FARAI CHIDEYA, host: From NPR News, this is NEWS & NOTES. I'm Farai Chideya.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Karl Rove is stepping down at the end of the month. He's a controversial political legend, President Bush's deputy chief of staff and most trusted senior adviser. Rove made the emotional announcement earlier today on the South Lawn of the White House with the president at his side.</s>Mr. KARL ROVE (Deputy White House Chief of Staff): Mr. President, the world has turned many times since our journey began. We've been at this a long time. It's over 14 years ago that you began your run for governor and over 10 years ago that we started thinking and planning about a possible run for the presidency. And it's been an exhilarating and eventful time.</s>Mr. KARL ROVE (Deputy White House Chief of Staff): Through it all, you've remained the same man. Your integrity, character and decency have remained unchanged and inspiring. Through all those years I've asked a lot of my family, and they've given all I've asked and more. And now, it seems the right time to start thinking about the next chapter in our family's life.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: For more, we've got Ron Christie, vice president of the lobbying firm DC Navigators and a former special assistant to President George W. Bush.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Ron, great to have you on again.</s>Mr. RON CHRISTIE (Vice President, DC Navigators): Farai, nice to join you today.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: So it's been a tough year for Karl Rove. His efforts at reworking Social Security and immigration policy did not pass, and he's deflecting tough questions about his involvement in the firing of U.S. attorneys. Do you think this was a factor in his departure?</s>Mr. RON CHRISTIE (Vice President, DC Navigators): I doubt. I've known Karl Rove ever since the year 2000. And he has been a tireless advocate then on behalf of Governor Bush. And he, of course, was the famous architect to the president's election as president of the United States and his subsequent reelection to that office. A very impressive feat given the really lack of individuals who've been able to succeed as president of the United States for two successive terms.</s>Mr. RON CHRISTIE (Vice President, DC Navigators): But looking specifically at Karl Rove behind the scenes, I saw him many, many mornings in the president's senior staff meetings at 7:30 in the morning, often in the office in the 6:00 hour, and often not leaving until midnight or later, and looking for Darby, his wife, and his son who's now in college back in Texas. After eight years really of working side by side with the President when he first decided to run for office, it seems to me, this is the natural nexus and the natural exit point for Karl. Not (unintelligible) considerations.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Well, Ron, let me ask you this. He - even his detractors, people who hated him, people who were fighting for the other team thought he was one of the best political strategists in America. When his legacy is written into the history books, will that stand out more than all of the recent mire with the administration?</s>Mr. RON CHRISTIE (Vice President, DC Navigators): I think it will. I mean, so much has been made of Karl Rove being the architect for his political acumen. But I think once history takes a reflection upon Karl Rove and his contributions in the White House, he'll also be known as the policy architect. He was the instrumental force behind the Social Security reform efforts and immigration reform, as you mentioned at the top of the package. But he was also instrumental in steel trade policy, agriculture policy, health care, and as recently, of course, is the wire-tapping issue that the president confronted in recent weeks. So I think his detractors and his supporters alike will recognize that this is a brilliant political mind and one that we haven't seen in generations.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Well, Ron, thanks so much.</s>Mr. RON CHRISTIE (Vice President, DC Navigators): Farai, nice to be with you today.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Ron Christie is vice president of the lobbying firm DC Navigators and a former special assistant to President George W. Bush.