Top aide cleared in CIA leak inquiry, but critics still want him fired

09:55 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 14, 2006

By G. ROBERT HILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – President Bush made it clear Wednesday: His top political strategist, Karl Rove, is staying at his side in the White House.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald had taken a "hard look" at Mr. Rove's role in the CIA leak case, Mr. Bush noted, and declined to seek federal criminal charges.

The decision "speaks for itself," the president told reporters during a White House news conference.

"I trust Karl Rove," he said. "He's an integral part of my team."

On Tuesday, Mr. Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, announced that Mr. Fitzgerald had advised Mr. Rove, a deputy White House chief of staff, that he didn't expect to seek charges against him.

Still, Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean, among other critics, has urged Mr. Bush to fire Mr. Rove.

"The prosecutor's decision not to indict Karl Rove does not diminish the fact that Karl Rove was involved in leaking the identity of an intelligence operative during a time of war," Dr. Dean said. "If the president valued America more than he valued his connection with Karl Rove, Karl Rove would have been fired a long time ago."

Mr. Rove has acknowledged discussing CIA officer Valerie Plame with syndicated columnist Robert Novak, who disclosed her identity as a CIA "operative on weapons of mass destruction" in 2003, and with Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper. But Mr. Rove did not recall his conversation with Mr. Cooper until Mr. Luskin discovered a White House e-mail about it.

As a result, Mr. Rove appeared in April – for a fifth time – before a federal grand jury as prosecutors sought to determine whether he may have lied or tried to obstruct justice.

The president said he was moving on, looking forward to this fall's midterm congressional campaigns that he predicted confidently would lead to continued Republican control of both the House and Senate because "we got a record to run on."

"What's going to matter," he suggested, "is who's got the plan that will enable us to succeed in Iraq and keep the economy growing," he said.

Democrats have vowed tough battles on the campaign trail. And Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada signaled again on Wednesday that Democrats will continue pressing the president on the war in Iraq, claiming he has no "real plan" to stabilize the country.

E-mail bhillman@dallasnews.com