A book deal is inching ever closer for former White House advisor Karl Rove; according to one insider with knowledge of negotiations, the decision is now down to two publishers, though on Wednesday attorney Bob Barnett said a verdict had not yet been reached. Barnett was back in town for additional meetings earlier this week, though at this point, a number of early bidders, including HarperCollins and Penguin's Sentinel imprint, have dropped out of the auction.

One publisher said to still be in the running is Simon and Schuster's conservative Threshold imprint; deputy publisher Anthony Ziccardi did not respond to a request for comment. The general consensus is that rights to the book will go for seven figures, but Rove's vision for the book remains unclear. And yet there have been rumors: Will the book be the Bush administration version of George Stephanopoulos's All too Human, with the Bushes stand-ins for the Clintons?