The Revolving Karl Rove Story

The Justice Department sent a letter to Congress saying, "The department is not aware of Karl Rove playing any role in the decision to appoint Mr. Griffin." The latter was Rove's head of opponent research. Griffin was appointed before his U.S. Bud Cummins had to chance to announce his departure. It turns out Karl Rove was well aware of the attorney purging.

In one email from January 2005, a White House lawyer told a colleague that Mr Rove had "stopped by to ask you (roughly quoting) 'how we planned to proceed regarding US attorneys, whether we were going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them or selectively replace them, etc.' "

Kyle Sampson Sampson wrote in another email, "That said, if Karl thinks there is the political will to do it, then so do I."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino maintains that Rove's story has been consistent. That is hysterical. Considering the White House said Rove had no involvement the dismissals. The criteria for the terminations reeks of Rove.

"As an operational matter," Sampson wrote, "we would like to replace 15 percent to 20 percent of the 93 U.S. attorneys" whom they considered "the underperforming ones." The others, Sampson said, "are doing a great job, are loyal Bushies."

Sampson has resigned and become the scapegoat. That isn't enough to save Rove. It is only a matter of time before he testifies before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.