Isn't it *also* possible
Rove is an un-elected political operative. As such he has no legal authority in anything. But people quickly learn that he has the backing of the president and other powerful administration officials. Eventually, his "requests" are little different from "orders" except without the accountability.
People who understand the way Washington works know to only document the things that make them look good, or cover their own asses. As long as no one can prove who was behind something, no one can ever be held to account for it. Washington has worked this way for a long time before the current crew came to power.
So like I said, it's possible that you're absolutely right, and that Rove had nothing to do with it. But do you really believe it couldn't have happened the other way?
