Bush promotes two senior staff members

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush elevated senior White House staffers Karl Rove and Michael Gerson to new positions, the White House said.

Rove, whom Bush's credits with being "the architect" of his successful 2004 re-election effort and who has been Bush's principal political adviser since his successful campaign for governor of Texas in 1994, was named an assistant to the president and deputy White House chief of staff.

Gerson, who has been Bush's chief speechwriter since 1999, was named assistant to the president for policy and strategic planning. His speechwriting position was filled earlier by William McGurn, a former editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal and ex-Washington bureau chief for National Review, the conservative opinion magazine founded by William F. Buckley Jr.

Bush praised Rove and Gerson for the contributions they had each made in his first term, lauding their commitment to public service as evidenced by their willingness to stay on board for the second term.