Karl Rove’s recent demotion was not attributed to his need to “spend more time with his family” but rather his need to spend more time thinking up ways to trick the common folk into voting for Republicans again this November. We cynical types were a bit suspicious that the real reason was that he was about to become enshrouded in the heinous stank of scandal:

Karl Rove, the senior counselor to President Bush, is expected to appear this afternoon before a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a Central Intelligence Agency officer’s identity.

Even though it is news to us, Rove has known that he would be testifying today for a while — perhaps even as along as two weeks ago.