Bush's political guru Karl Rove quits

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WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (AFP): Karl Rove, the master political strategist behind President George W. Bush's two election triumphs, quit Monday, paying emotional tribute to the "farsighted courage" of his boss and close friend.
In a bombshell announcement, Rove -- once the hunter, now the hunted as Democrats probe his role in a row over fired federal prosecutors -- said he was stepping down as deputy chief of staff after six tempestuous White House years.
"I'm grateful to have been witness to history," said Rove, revered as a genius by Republicans, and feared as a no-holds-barred opponent by Democrats who repeatedly fell victim to his mastery of US politics.
"I've seen a man of farsighted courage put America on a war footing and protect us against a brutal enemy in a dangerous conflict that will shape this new century," Rove said, as he stood with the president at the White House.
Bush praised Rove, who will leave at the end of the month, for making "enormous sacrifices" to serve, and in a nod to his own waning days in power said: "I will be on the road behind you here in a little bit."