It has finally happened: Karl Rove has resigned, singing the old refrain about spending more time with his family. Effective at the end of August, Bush's Brain will be back at the homestead with his loving wife, and talking on the phone to his son, who is in college. What he leaves behind is a Republican party in a shambles as a result of Rove's shortsighted power-grab, and a president with the worst approval rating in history. Rove is seen as being one of the key engineers of our foray into Iraq, as well as the US Attorney scandal, and many of the other missteps of this administration. Like Dick Cheney, he has wielded more power over the president than would seem warranted by his position. Those on the left sometimes saw him as the devil himself, while others are now viewing him as a modern conservative Pyrrhus.

Whatever the case, his mark on the US will take some rubbing to get off. It remains to be seen if his goal of a permanent Republican majority will come to fruition, and if so if he will witness that from a jail cell. In the twilight of the Bush administration, Rove seems like just another rat fleeing a sinking ship.