Karl Rove is the latest of the rats to abandon the George W. Bush ship of state. But who can blame him? There are no more elections to steal for Bush and even with Democrats in control of Congress the administration still gets it way.

WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

A longtime member of Bush's inner circle, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House.

A criminal investigation put Rove under scrutiny for months during the investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's name but he was never charged with any crime.

Bush was expected to make a statement Monday with Rove.