US: White House moves aim to boost Republican chances in November elections, writes Denis Staunton in Washington
The White House moves which have seen President George Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove stripped of his policy duties and press secretary Scott McClellan resign, are part of broader shake-up aimed at improving Mr Bush's popularity and bolstering Republican chances in November's congressional elections.
Mr Bush's new chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, has already moved highly regarded former US trade representative Rob Portman to the Office of Management and Budget and yesterday's changes are unlikely to be the last.
The president has notably failed to counter speculation that treasury secretary Jon Snow may be facing the sack and Mr Bush's expressions of confidence in Donald Rumsfeld have not convinced Washington's rumour factory that the defence secretary is safe.
Last week's retired generals' revolt against Mr Rumsfeld may have bought the defence secretary a few extra months in the job, as Mr Bush would not wish to be seen to bow to pressure from the disgruntled soldiers.
Thomas DeFrank, the well-informed Washington bureau chief of the New York Daily News, reported yesterday that the president has privately complained that the defence secretary gave him the wrong advice about the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
"Presidential friends say that if, after a decent interval, Rumsfeld expressed a willingness to retire to his New Mexico ranch and Eastern Shore estate, Bush would smother him in heartfelt accolades, award him another presidential medal of freedom and breathe a titanic sigh of relief," DeFrank wrote.
Mr McClellan's resignation came as no surprise and after almost three years as press secretary, he has served longer than most recent predecessors.
Mr McClellan's authority was undermined when Lewis "Scooter" Libby, vice-president Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, was charged with perjury in the CIA leak investigation.
The press secretary had denied that anyone in the White House had leaked Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA officer, giving explicit assurances that neither Mr Libby nor Mr Rove were involved.
It has subsequently emerged that both Mr Libby and Mr Rove told journalists that Ms Plame worked for the CIA.
Mr Rove retains his position as deputy chief of staff, but his role as policy co-ordinator will now be assumed by Joel Kaplan, Mr Bolten's former deputy.
The White House yesterday sought to play down the significance of Mr Rove's sideways move, which, Mr McClellan said, would allow Mr Bush's closest political adviser to concentrate on broader, strategic issues.
"He will continue to be a crucial voice and trusted adviser on policy, as he has been since the beginning of this administration," the press secretary said.
The move also allows Mr Rove to devote more of his time to helping Republicans retain majorities in house of representatives and the senate.
With Democrats opening up a 15-point lead in opinion polls, senior Republicans are acknowledging for the first time that they could lose control of one or both chambers.
Losing the Republican majority in Congress could prove disastrous for Mr Bush.
Committees controlled by Democrats would launch inquiries into everything, from the use of intelligence to make the case for war in Iraq, to the administration's relationship with business, and could launch impeachment proceedings against the president.
Yesterday's changes will help to give the White House a new image, but Mr Bush faces a much greater challenge in addressing the causes of his unpopularity.
Americans are unhappy with the course of the Iraq war and are angry about rising fuel prices, which are partly caused by tensions in the Middle East.
Mr Rove, who has been called "Bush's brain", is the most formidable and ruthless political strategist of his generation, but the public's alienation from the president and congressional Republicans may already be too firmly entrenched to avoid defeat in November.