It seems as if the house that George W. built will soon be without its "architect" — a nickname the president has used to describe his controversial senior adviser, Karl Rove. It's a wise, if overdue, move, given that the foundation has long been crumbling.

His is just another name to add to the growing list of senior White House officials who have resigned since last year. Such departures are not uncommon as a president's term begins to wind down, but Rove's announcement — as welcome as it was — did come as a surprise.

As "brilliant" as Rove may have been, he still found himself at the center of two high-profile controversies: the investigation into the CIA leak, and the firing of U.S. attorneys.

In the former case, columnist Robert Novak, who identified CIA agent Valerie Plame in a 2003 column, testified that Rove was one of two officials who told him about Plame. Rove was never charged.

He has been able to keep up this Teflon exterior in the latter case as well. President Bush arrogantly claimed "absolute immunity," thus saving Rove from having to testify.

According to The Washington Post, Congressional Democrats have vowed to continue the investigation. And rightly so.

As he prepares to ride off into the Texas sunset, Rove leaves behind unanswered questions, and an administration whose popularity has plummeted. The question now: Who will replace Rove?

What the president needs is someone to restore structural integrity, not another architect, if he has any hope of salvaging his legacy.