Bush's political guru Karl Rove quits

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Karl Rove, the master political strategist behind President George W. Bush's two election triumphs, quit Monday, paying emotional tribute to the "farsighted courage" of his boss and close friend.

In a bombshell announcement, Rove -- once the hunter, now the hunted as Democrats probe his role in a row over fired federal prosecutors -- said he was stepping down as deputy chief of staff after six tempestuous White House years.

"I'm grateful to have been witness to history," said Rove, revered as a genius by Republicans, and feared as a no-holds-barred opponent by Democrats who repeatedly fell victim to his mastery of US politics.

"I've seen a man of farsighted courage put America on a war footing and protect us against a brutal enemy in a...