US: US president George Bush's credibility is coming into question with American voters as controversy mounts over the role of his chief political strategist, Karl Rove, in leaking information to a reporter about a CIA operative.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll published yesterday showed that, for the first time in his presidency, a plurality of voters rate Mr Bush negatively on "being honest and straightforward".
Former US ambassador Joe Wilson yesterday called on Mr Bush to fire Mr Rove for telling a reporter that his wife, Valerie Plame, was a secret CIA operative. Mr Wilson told a press conference yesterday this was part of an attempt to discredit him for contradicting a claim by Mr Bush that Iraq was trying to acquire material in Africa to make nuclear weapons.
"The smear campaign launched by the west wing of the White House is ethically unsupportable," said Mr Wilson, who was sent by the CIA to investigate claims of Iraqi uranium purchases in Niger, only to have his visit portrayed by the Bush administration as a junket organised by his wife when he reported there was no such evidence.
Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, appearing with Mr Wilson at the Capitol Hill press conference, called for the suspension of Mr Rove's security clearance for a potential violation of national security. Several top Republican officials have conceded anonymously in the US media that they are concerned the Rove affair could set back the president's agenda on social security, the economy and the war in Iraq. Jim Holt, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Arkansas, said Mr Rove should resign, adding, "I hope he doesn't come gunning for me".
However, Republican Party chairman Ken Mehlman accused the "angry left" of trying to smear Mr Rove. Mr Bush yesterday made a public show of support for his embattled advisor, walking with Mr Rove across the White House lawn, laughing and waving to the camera. The previous day many Republican supporters of Mr Rove, who is White House deputy chief of staff, were dismayed when Mr Bush stopped short of publicly backing his longtime friend and counsellor when questioned by reporters.
About 150 people demonstrated outside the White House yesterday, calling for the end of the "cover-up" and the sacking of the White House aide.
Mr Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, said yesterday he had been repeatedly assured by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that Mr Rove was not a target, but acknowledged there had not been such an assurance recently.
Unease about the outcome of the grand jury's deliberations has grown in the White House since the publication by Newsweek on Monday of an internal Time magazine e-mail revealing that Time reporter Matthew Cooper was told by Mr Rove about Ms Plame's CIA job before it appeared in print. The White House has for two years denied Mr Rove was involved in the leak.