Rove Will Be Missed

By Hugh Hewitt

Karl Rove is many things to many people, but to any fair observer of American politics, he is a presidential aide with a unique and lasting role in history. As Newsweek's Jonathan Alter put it to me--and Alter is a man of the left--Rove is probably the most powerful presidential aide in history given his combination of influence and longevity.

What has often been overlooked in the explosion of Rove-related commentary surrounding Rove's announcement of his pending resignation is that the president's trusted aide is not only admired for his genius within the White House, but also greatly loved by staff and colleagues for his energy, his good humor and his kind-hearted approach to the people working for and near him.

Rove is widely feared and loathed on the left and in much of the media, but he is at heart a happy warrior, and his brilliance and capacity will be greatly missed in the final 18 months of the Bush presidency.