Rove's round table
Karl Rove sits down to an interview aboard Air Force One after announcing his resignation.
Editor's note: After announcing his resignation Monday, Karl Rove, the deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the president, participated in a round-table discussion today with journalists aboard Air Force One en route to Waco, Texas. Rove will leave the White House at the end of August. A transcript of that round table, as released by the White House and edited for length by Salon, follows.
Reuters/Larry Downin
Karl Rove walks off Air Force One after arriving in Waco, Texas, on Aug. 13.
Aug. 14, 2007 | Q: Some people have said -- some of the political analysts have already said that this spells the end of -- marks the end of President Bush's political life. What do you think?
MR. ROVE: Absolutely not. Why would it? He's the President of the United States.
Q: Because --
MR. ROVE: Well, but look, every President plays a -- even if they're not running again, plays a big role in shaping the nature of the debate, the policy debate, which in turn has a big impact on politics. And you can bet, being as competitive as he is, that he's going to use every lever he's got command over, every power that he controls to continue to drive the policy debate right up to noon on January 20, 2009.
Q: Karl, were you considering staying longer, to kind of bring home the '08 elections a little? Maybe help from the White House to pave the ground, while the other candidates are duking it out?
MR. ROVE: No, we just -- we started talking about this over a year ago and we just -- we mutually reinforced bad behavior by constantly finding excuses that we could postpone the discussion. But now is the right time to do it. It gives -- if Josh has thought through, and is thinking through -- I think he's thought through, if the truth be known, about how he wants to handle this, and this gives him enough time to both put responsibilities into some people's hands and recruit people to step in to do other responsibility.
Q: Did he ever ask you to reconsider, stay on until the end of the term?
MR. ROVE: You know, here's the deal, I mean, we talked about it. When you've got a good friend and you talk through it -- look, both of us would have liked to have been in a place where we both could have walked out, where I could have followed him out the door on the 20th. But I've got a family, and I've asked my family to go through a lot and to sacrifice a lot. And this all actually started with things in our family, talking about what the future would hold for us. And as time went on it became clear that it was time for us to think about the next chapter.
Look, I love my job. I have fun. It is a joy to walk in the door. I have the most incredible colleagues in the world. And I know it sounds corny, but it's inspiring to walk into the Oval Office, the tone he sets, you know, the good nature he has, the focus, the vision -- it's inspiring. And I deliberately used that word today because he just -- he makes it a wonderful place to work. And my colleagues make it a magical place to work. And you have such a sense of satisfaction of serving the country and doing important work in combination with some really extraordinary people. And would I like to enjoy that right up until January 20? You bet I would; 526 more days of that would be great. But I wouldnb
Q: Do you feel like any unfinished business as you leave, particular issue or --
MR. ROVE: I mean, you know, look, that's it -- I mean, the President is an activist President. We face a big set of votes and discussions and debates this fall on Iraq, on the budget -- which is not just about spending. Imbedded in each one of those appropriation bills are serious policy questions. We have initiatives on energy, on education, on No Child Left Behind, which is coming through, on health care. There will be a State of the Union next year, which will also help shape next year, as well.
So, look, there's a robust set of issues that we're dealing with. And, again, I'd love to be around for them. In a way, I'll be kibitzing from the outside -- he knows my phone number and I know his. But, no, there's a lot of unfinished business ahead and we're in the midst of some very important things.
And we're winning some of these battles. The Competitive Initiative, which he laid out in the State of the Union, I believe last year, has just now been signed into law. We have No Child Left Behind, which we can either do by law or regulation -- we want to do it by law. The energy, 20-in-10, which we can do both by legislation and regulation, some of it embodied in various legislative proposals on the Hill.
Look, the President did not come to occupy this office. He came to fulfill his responsibilities to press the agenda every single day he's in office.
Q: So are you replaceable then?
MR. ROVE: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
Q: Is anyone else on the White House staff replaceable?
MR. ROVE: Everybody is. Except two.
Q: Karl, can I ask you, I know you mentioned your family as being a big issue here. There's obviously been pressure that's come to bear on you -- the investigations and subpoenas and the like. Has that affected your family? Has that in any way figuring in on your decision to leave?
MR. ROVE: It's not figured in my decision, no. I think they are only vaguely aware of the subpoenas. They obviously were more than vaguely aware of the investigation. And look, I'm realistic enough to understand that the subpoenas are going to keep flying my way. I'm Moby Dick and we've got three or four members of Congress who are trying to cast themselves in the part of Captain Ahab -- so they're going to keep coming. But anybody who suggests the investigations had something to do with getting me out is sort of putting Congress in the position of being the rooster that believes that by crowing loudly brings the sun to come up.
Q: But are you protected now, in terms of legality? I mean, because of executive privilege? How does that work now?
MR. ROVE: After I leave the White House the things that I've -- the advice that I've given the President, my role within the White House remains protected; I do not lose privilege by leaving the White House -- just as former Presidents don't lose the privilege when they leave the White House. You remember that there have been instances where the current President, on behalf of President Clinton, has asserted privilege.