Did Rove try to exorcise Hilary Clinton?

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Karl Rove denies a story that he held an exorcism when he came to Washington and took over Hilary Clinton's office in the White House.

The story comes from "The Architect," a new book about Rove from James Moore and Wayne Slater, the men who wrote "Bush's Brain." They say they heard it from a witness, Deal Hudson, a Baptist minister turned conservative Catholic. Hudson told them three clergymen were involved in "an actual liturgical ceremony."

Clinton, now a U.S. senator from New York, told Newsday, "I'm speechless."

"They sure did exorcize any lingering competence right out of the building," a Clinton spokesman, Philippe Reines, said.

But Dana Perino, a spokesman for the White House, told Newsday she had talked to Rove, who said he would have no comment except to say that the exorcism did not happen. Rove himself is an Episcopalian.