File this one under News That Normally Breaks Friday Afternoon: Karl Rove is leaving the White House to, wait for it, what could it be, that's right, spend more time with his family.

The New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 — Karl Rove, the political adviser who masterminded President George W. Bush’s two winning presidential campaigns, is resigning, the White House confirmed today.

In an interview published this morning in The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Rove said, “I just think it’s time,” adding, “There’s always something that can keep you here, and as much as I’d like to be here, I’ve got to do this for the sake of my family.”

Mr. Rove said he had first considered leaving a year ago but stayed after his party lost the crucial midterm elections last fall, putting Congress in Democratic hands, and Mr. Bush’s problems mounted in Iraq and in his pursuit of a new immigration policy.

He said his hand was forced when the White House chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, recently told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day they would be expected to stay through the rest of Mr. Bush’s term.

Nobody in the entire history of Washington has ever resigned to spend time with their family.

Rather, this resignation, coming a few days, literally, before the September deadline for evaluation of the Iraq surge, in the midst of the festering U.S. Attorney scandal, and in the wake of the denouement of the Libby scandal, Rove's ouster may have more to do with dropping some ballast from an already sinking White House. George Bush desperately needs to engineer a fresh start; what better way to do so than to sacrifice the man most closely associated with the political excesses of this administration?

Another small tidbit of maneuvering: the resignation was first announced in an exclusive interview with the Wall Street Journal, recently acquired by Rupert Murdoch. Even in leaving, Turdblossom continues to scratch the backs of his allies. This, together with the unheard-of announcement of the news on a Monday morning, at the start of a fresh weekly press cycle, indicates that there's more planning and message to this than some middle-aged hack wishing to spend some time with the wife and kids would require.

You have to wonder: will any of the Presidential campaigns snatch up the Boy Wonder? Stay tuned.

(X-Posted @ TDG)