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<DIV>ANALYSIS: Washington speculates about White House job changes<BR><A
href="http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/442851p-3542868c.html">http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/442851p-3542868c.html</A><BR><BR>By
NICHOLAS M. HORROCK and PETER ROFF, United Press International<BR>Published 8:53
p.m. PDT Friday, June 21, 2002<BR><BR>WASHINGTON (UPI) - Washington was swirling
Friday with speculation about major job changes at the White House, from Chief
of Staff Andrew Card leaving to whether Office of Management and Budget director
Mitch Daniels will run for the governorship of Indiana.<BR><BR>All this
speculation is normal as an administration enters its second year in office, but
this year it has come early and intensely, driven by three extraordinary
occurrences in the past several weeks.<BR><BR>First, Karen Hughes, unequivocally
President George W. Bush's closest and most influential aide, abruptly announced
she was going back to Texas after 15 months in the White House. She and the
administration have persuaded Washington that her decision arose from real
concern for her husband and son, but the impact of her departure on the White
House is still unmeasured.<BR><BR>A few weeks after Hughes' announcement,
Esquire magazine published an extraordinary interview with Andrew Card, who was
portrayed almost in a panic at her leaving, talking about the president being in
"denial" and strongly suggesting her leaving would unleash uncontrolled
influence from Bush's second closest adviser, political consul, Karl
Rove.<BR><BR>The pot was stirred even more furiously when Bush presented his
plan for a powerful new Homeland Security Department, which, if approved, will
be second only to the Department of Defense in size and influence, but Bush did
not immediately name White House Homeland Security adviser Tom Ridge to head
it.<BR><BR>United Press International reporters have been fanning out around
town trying to follow all these threads. The following is a compilation of
speculation given on background by UPI's sources: Andy Card is leaving as chief
of staff by the end of the year, all sources agreed, but when he leaves and
where he is going is in doubt. He has been mentioned on the short list for
secretary of Homeland Security, a department he is given credit for getting off
the ground, but others say the startling interview with Esquire violated the
Bush administration's cardinal rule: thou shall not talk out of
school.<BR><BR>Card had long hinted he would stay no more than two years and,
because of his background with Washington trade associations and in
transportation - he was Secretary of Transportation under Bush 41 - he could
reenter private industry easily.<BR><BR>Though White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer quibbled about the quotes in a briefing, Card has never flatly denied
them and to some insiders they ring true. In the story, Card fashions himself as
a man in the middle of a seesaw, balancing it between Karl Rove on one end and
Karen Hughes on the other and that without Hughes's influence, Rove's
conservative agenda will have free rein. Esquire quoted Rove as good-naturedly
laughing about that.<BR><BR>UPI's sources agreed that more than other recent
presidents, the White House Chief of Staff under Bush is a key post. It was one
those posts that allowed Bush to fashion himself as a corporate chief executive
officer, delegating to a smoothly running team.<BR><BR><FONT color=#000080>---
continued</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>