Going through Karl Rove withdrawal? [Ed: Really? Why??] In any event, Rove’s announcement in yesterday’s WSJ that he plans to step down threw many of us for a loop. The kind of loop that’s wholly unexpected (but joyous!) and comprised of gumdrops and rainbows and everything happy.

And for those of you not content to simply ACCEPT the good news, dammit, and not question Rove’s undeniably sinister motives, Washington Post White House reporter, Peter Baker was on hand to field your questions. Here’s his response to “Bethesda MD” (Great name!) who says he doesn’t buy Rove’s “close-to-the-family” excuse.

Responds Baker:

The time with the family reason is timeworn in Washington, so much so in fact that no one ever really believes it even when it’s true. In Rove’s case, his son is off at college and anyone with a college-aged kid knows they have no interest in spending more time with the family. And there are obviously lots of other things swirling around that would make someone want to leave the White House at this point, particularly Rove. Having said that, don’t underestimate how exhausting these jobs really are, even for the truly committed.

Which is to say, um, of course Rove is lying, but we’re still not really sure why.* Other than the obvious answer of, “Because that’s how he rolls.”

And the somewhat less obvious answer of, “Because Condoleezza wanted Georgie all to herself.”

Original post by Perez Hilton and software by Elliott Back