Rove denies 'demon' rumors

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

September 7, 2006

WASHINGTON - Karl Rove says he's not The Exorcist.

Rove, the Bush political shaman Democrats love to demonize, enlisted a trio of clergymen to exorcize Hillary Rodham Clinton's left-wing spirit when he moved into her West Wing office in 2001, according to an unflattering new biography.

"I talked to Karl; he said it's not true and, beyond that, he will have no comment," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Clinton smiled and shook her head in disbelief yesterday when asked about the tale, which appears in "The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power," by James Moore and Wayne Slater.

"I'm speechless," she finally said, heading toward a Senate elevator.

Later, Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines quipped, "If the story is true ... they sure did exorcize any lingering competence right out of the building."

Deal Hudson, a former Fordham University professor Rove enlisted to woo Catholic voters, told the authors that he witnessed the exorcism, which he described as "an actual liturgical ceremony."

He did not return a message seeking comment.