The Washington Monthly's Monthly Journalism Award.

RON SUSKIND "Mrs. Hughes Takes Her Leave" Esquire, July, 2002

Pulitzer Prize-winner Ron Suskind was reporting his profile of Karen Hughes, Bush's most trusted adviser, right before she announced in April that she was leaving the White House to take her family back to Texas. As a result, Suskind found himself documenting a major upheaval in the West Wing, one that reveals the kinds of power plays and raw emotions that the administration usually has kept hidden. He presents, among other things, a startlingly frank chief of staff, Andrew Card, openly fretting that Hughes's departure will tip the balance of power to the more conservative Karl Rove, and a Karen Hughes strong, spiritual, and just wanting to go home.

THE MONTHLY JOURNALISM AWARD is presented each month to one or more newspaper, magazine, radio, or television stories (or...