Karl Rove is not a safe subject. The preeminent presidential adviser is reputed to have a very thin skin. People who Karl Rove does not like often find themselves in sudden, often inexplicably dire circumstances. There is widespread belief among his friends as well as his enemies that Mr. Rove is the author of these calamities. And although he is rarely (but occasionally) caught red-handed, he is so often to be found in the vicinity of the crime that some supposition along these lines is warranted. Here are a few career highlights - if that is the word to be used.
 
Rove's political activism appears to have begun In 1970, when by his own admission, he gained entry to the offices of a candidate for Illinois State Treasurer. Rove then printed on stolen campaign stationery a spurious invitation to a party that promised "free beer, free food, girls, and a good time"
 
In 1971, Rove worked closely with Lee Atwater, the late and legendary political trickster and strategist who would later be credited with the infamous "Willie Horton" ad campaign that is thought to have led directly to George H. W. Bush's presidential victory. For his own part, In the aftermath of the Watergate break-in, Rove was accused of forming and instructing groups of Republican college students in the black arts of political trickery.
 
In 1977, Rove went to Texas to work for George H. W. Bush's PAC. He later moved to Austin, where he became an almost legendary figure, transforming Texas from a majority Democratic to a majority Republican state in only ten years. When he arrived, only one Republican held an elected state office. When he left, Republicans held every one of the 29 statewide positions.
 
In 1990, Rove was credited with having engineered an ultimately ruinous whispering campaign against then Democratic Texas agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower. The charges concerned alleged corruption and kickbacks. In a related investigative hearing before the Texas Senate, Mr. Rove gave answers that were remarkably Clintonian, some surpassing even the former President's famous "what is is". Hightower was never charged with any crime.
 
In 1992 Rove was instrumental in providing the press with information to the effect that Democratic State Railroad Commissioner Lena Guerrero had lied about graduating from college. The information was, apparently correct, but of very old vintage. Nonetheless, Ms. Guerrero's promising political career came to an immediate halt.
 
The on-going bad blood existing between the current President Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain stems from McCain's belief that Rove engineered a disinformation campaign to convince press and public that McCain's Vietnamese war experiences and long-term POW confinement had rendered him mentally unstable. The belief in Rove's part in this is apparently shared by many if not all of the major contenders in the 2000 Republican Primary.
 
Mr. Rove is presently serving as chief advisor and mentor to the President.