White House Strategist Mary Matalin Plans to Step Down

Mary Matalin, a high-profile White House strategist, announced Friday that she will return to the private sector by the first of the year. But she intends to continue to informally advise both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney -- including in their anticipated reelection campaign.

An acerbic and fiercely partisan Republican, Matalin is part of what many view as Washington’s most unlikely couple: Her husband is James Carville, the equally sharp-tongued Democratic consultant. While they have attracted widespread attention as a seemingly odd couple, Matalin long has been a top GOP operative.

“Mary is just the best,” Cheney said in a statement. “The entire Cheney family is in awe of the superb job she has done.”

After serving as chief of staff to the Republican National Committee, Matalin worked as a deputy campaign manager for then-President George Bush’s 1992 reelection campaign. She also was already secretly dating Carville at that time, even though he was a key manager of Bill Clinton’s campaign.

During the Clinton years, Matalin co-hosted “Crossfire” on CNN and CNBC’s “Equal Time,” worked for Republican causes, delivered speeches and wrote a book with Carville, “All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.”

After the 2000 election, President George W. Bush hired Matalin, 49, as counselor to Cheney and gave her the additional title of assistant to the president.

In a staid, button-down West Wing, Matalin brought not only star power but also valuable Washington experience and contacts.

She became influential in coordinating the administration’s response to criticism.

It was Matalin, for instance, who aggressively defended Cheney and the energy task force he headed, which was criticized for forming policy behind closed doors while granting disproportionate access to the industry.

During the 2002 midterm elections, Matalin was among the many administration officials who campaigned around the country for Republicans.

After Matalin’s resignation was announced, one West Wing official likened her new role to that of Karen P. Hughes, Bush’s longtime confidant who returned to Texas in August but remains in close contact with the president and his senior staff.

“It’s going to be very Karen-esque,” the staffer said. “Mary’s going to remain heavily involved.”

Matalin said Friday that she is seeking employment opportunities that would afford her greater flexibility to spend time with her family. She and Carville have two daughters, Emma and Matty, ages 4 and 7.

Matalin is the daughter of Democrats. Her father was a steelworker and her mother owned beauty salons in Chicago. Matalin got involved in Republican politics as a student at Western Illinois University.

Matalin is to be succeeded by Cathie Martin, 34, who has been her deputy.