New Role For Bush Adviser Rove

Political Strategist Karl Rove Will Be More Involved On Policy Side

(CBS/AP)  With no more elections to win for President Bush, senior political adviser Karl Rove is taking on an expanded role in policy development, reports CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller.

Rove has been named a deputy chief of staff and will coordinate the operations of White House policy groups, including the National Economic Council.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Rove will retain his title as senior adviser and continue to oversee political and intergovernmental affairs as well as strategic initiatives, but he will be even more involved in the development and coordination of all policy, domestic and international.

The promotion has rankled a few Democrats who think it shows that Mr. Bush cares more about "political positioning" on issues than public policy decision-making.

"Empowering Rove in this way shows that Bush cares more about political positioning than honest policy discussions," Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said.

"Bush knows that Rove is neither an economic nor a national security expert. He is simply an ideological strategist. ... Clearly, Bush thinks political manipulation matters more than keeping the president honestly informed about the state of the country."

Rove was widely credited with orchestrating the political strategy that propelled Mr. Bush to an election win over Democrat John Kerry. In his victory speech on Nov. 3, Mr. Bush called Rove the architect of his re-election campaign.