Foley’s tawdry sexual banter, in other words, has only heightened the stakes for Karl Rove: Win, and he’ll look better than ever; lose, and he’ll look even worse. It’s not quite Greek tragedy. But it would be an ironic and fitting coda if the legendary strategist who used Bill Clinton’s behavior to “restore honor and dignity to the White House” in the person of George W. Bush were to end his career with a devastating loss, cinched by a scandal that was even seamier.

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• Archive: “Politics”
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