Political Gateway
http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/34233Rove's power less in 2006 elections
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Karl Rove, who has advised U.S. President George W. Bush since he ran for a Texas congressional seat in 1978, has
a diminished role in this year's election.
Rove's waning influence is a result of Bush's low popularity, The New York Times reports. Some Republicans also feel he has a built-in conflict of interest between safeguarding Bush's legacy and helping the party win.
The White House is focused on keeping control of both houses of Congress and has done little for gubernatorial candidates. Many analysts believe the Democrats have a good chance of winning a House majority, which could mean two years of investigations for Bush with little chance of getting anything through Congress.
A lot of Republican candidates want nothing from Rove or Bush. Dick De Vos, running for governor of Michigan, picked a time when Rove was in the state to attack Bush for failing to meet with auto executives.
Asked if De Vos was worried about Rove's reaction, his spokesman, John Truscott, told the Times, "That never even crossed our mind."