Rove Gets the Dreaded 'Vote of Confidence'

Ask Don Rumsfeld how long the tenure is likely to be if the President 'has every intention of keeping you on through the rest of the term.'

Rove is taking lots of abuse for crafting a burlap purse out of a sow's ear. The President clearly had higher priorities than boosting his popularity ratings to ensure a good midterm result. Whatever happens in Iraq, the President didn't allow concerns about upcoming elections to affect war planning. And while Rove projected confidence in advance of the elections, I haven't seen any indication that that was anything more than trying to cheer up the foot soldiers.

So if anyone in the White House is to blame for the election result, it's the President. And he doesn't seem the type to fire Rove for the outcome. Does that mean that Rove will last the full 8-year term? Absolutely not. He'll have other clients, and he might want to take part in a 2008 campaign.

But if Rove leaves, I doubt it will be because the President fired him.

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