Don't go off the reservation...

I don't think Rove should be demonised for stating what he sees as real problems with O'Donnell. We enter a scary political era when you cannot say bad things about candidates in your own party. We enter a political era lacking in truthfulness.

in reference to: » What Karl Rove Should Have Said - Big Government (view on Google Sidewiki)

Did they get tired of Nazi comparisons?

Why can't we have a debate about issues without these kinds of silly attacks? From one side to the other and back again, all they do is serve to make the American public

clipped from polijamblog.polijam.com

Rove hits Obama for bowing

The Raw Story » Rep. warns of ‘consequences’ if Rove ‘laughs’ at subpoena

The Raw Story » Rep. warns of ‘consequences’ if Rove ‘laughs’ at subpoena:

"MSNBC’s Dan Abrams asked Judiciary Committee member Debbie Wasserman Schultz
(D-FL) whether Chairman John Conyers would follow through on his threat to have
Rove arrested if he does not appear.
“If that’s what it takes,” Wasserman Schultz replied. “We really cannot allow the co-equal branch of government, the legislative branch, to be trampled upon by the executive branch.”"

I don't understand all the details about this case, or what Rove is will be asked to speak about. What I do understand is that Congress represents the people, and Rove needs to speak to congress if he has been asked to do so.

Lies, Damned Lies And Karl Rove Columns - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Lies, Damned Lies And Karl Rove Columns - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"It was further weakened by terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, natural
disasters, and out-of-control spending with discretionary domestic spending
increasing 16 percent in the last fiscal year of his predecessor. President Bush
took decisive action, cutting taxes and ratcheting down this spending. "

That's only true if what you mean by ratcheting down spending is that he spent way more.

Crooks and Liars » Turdblossom’s Car Falls Victim To Prank

Crooks and Liars » Turdblossom’s Car Falls Victim To Prank:

"White House pranksters wrapped Rove’s Jaguar in plastic wrap on the private
driveway next to the West Wing. Rove’s car is easily recognizable because of its
“I love Barack Obama” bumper sticker and the twin stuffed-animal eagles on the
trunk. Oh, and there’s a stuffed-animal elephant on the hood. Rove, the top
White House political strategist who recently announced his resignation, left
his car on the driveway while visiting Texas and traveling with President Bush.
He was due back in Washington Wednesday evening."

That's just funny, pointless but funny. It would be even funnier if we found out later that it was his staff or one of his friends who did it.

American Voters, Please Don't Throw Me In The Briar Patch

American Voters, Please Don't Throw Me In The Briar Patch

In the run-up to the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when it was not yet
clear who Bush's opponent would be that November, Rove and his aides had begun
to fear that their most dangerous foe would be then-Sen. John Edwards of North
Carolina... But instead of attacking Edwards, Rove's team opened fire at
Kerry.Their thinking went like this, [Rove lieutenant Matthew] Dowd explained [after the election]: Democrats, in a knee-jerk reaction to GOP attacks, would rally around Kerry, whom Rove considered a comparatively weak opponent, and make him the party's nominee.

There are two things that I want to say about this, first of all it looks like this tactic worked. While we will never know who would have won if another choice had been made by republicans. The second thing, is that while many on the left are going to get upset about this, don't blame republicans, blame yourselves. If you voted on ideas, and who you thought would be the best leader for the country, this ploy would have been useless. In the future you can be sure that they will attempt other such tactics. The easiest way to get the best candidate is to vote for the person you think will do the best job.

MSNBC's Dan Abrams Tags Rove 'Constitutional Crippler' | NewsBusters.org

MSNBC's Dan Abrams Tags Rove 'Constitutional Crippler' NewsBusters.org:

"DAN ABRAMS: Karl Rove is out. Rove announced this morning he was resigning from
the Bush administration. The man who is sometimes referred to as 'Bush's brain'
will leave the White House on August 31. My take. If Karl Rove had been a
professional wrestler, they might have called him 'the Constitutional Crippler.'
I'll leave his political legacy to others, although I will say I think it's
foolish when searching for explanations for the 2000 Republican rout to blame
Rove, the political operative, as opposed to Rove, the chief policy analyst.
That was the war speaking. How the Republicans talked about it in the campaign
wouldn't have changed a thing. But in terms of his legal legacy, Rove has long
applied basic political strategy to the courts: Accuse your opponents or critics
of engaging in the very behavior that could become your own Achilles heel. Rove
has accused judges of bending the law to fit their personal agenda. It's true,
some do. But I can't think of a federal judge who has done that more than Karl
Rove himself. Rove called the federal judiciary 'fundamentally out of touch with
mainstream America.' A nice campaign slogan, but it demonstrates a fundamental
misunderstanding of the role of judges. They're not supposed to reflect popular
opinion. It also demonstrates some hypocrisy. He cites the will of the people
until, of course, it comes to the people's reaction to this administration's
policy. Then he ignores it. And he even said, quote, 'I'm not going to stay or
leave based on whether it pleases the mob.'"

First of all click on the link to read the rest of this great piece.

Like him or not, Rove has changed the face of American politics, and it will never be the same. His greatest secret to power may in the end be that we don't know what effect he had. We know for sure that he was key to getting many of the things this administration wanted, done. What we don't know that much about is how involved he was in some of the most controversial topics in Washington. He was a political machine, it has been said that he lived to win elections. He was very good at winning elections, and in doing so I believed he changed the ways that elections are fought.

Seattle Times Editor Scolds Staffers For Cheering Rove Resignation | NewsBusters.org

Seattle Times Editor Scolds Staffers For Cheering Rove Resignation NewsBusters.org:

"It seems that some folks at the Seattle Times got a bit giddy when they heard
news of Karl Rove's resignation. The paper's David Postman clarified in an
August 14 'Postman on Politics' blog post that while it 'sounds like a
conservative's parody of how a news meeting would be run... It was only a couple
of people who cheered [Rove's resignation] and they, thankfully, are not among
the people who get a say in news play.' Nevertheless, Postman noted that
executive editor David Boardman has issued a warning to Seattle Times staff"

If I understand this right, the first amendment doesn't apply to journalists. Once you walk into the office of a news source as an employee you are not allowed to express your personal views. I just think this is silly, there is a clear difference between what is expressed off air/out of print and what is expressed on air and in print. Journalism is changing and the old school theory of objective journalism is getting weaker, I think that is a good thing. The new idea is that you take someone from each side, and allow them each to have their say. Journalist by nature are informed, educated, curious people and to expect that they don't have opinions is wrong. Would I support the same actions taken by a journalist on air, no. Inside the newsroom though there should be enough freedom of expression to cheer or boo.

KARL ROVE MEET THE PRESS AUG 19, 2007

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8/13/07 - Coulter on Cuban refugees, Rove

Crooks and Liars » Barnes (hearts) Rove:

Crooks and Liars » Barnes (hearts) Rove:

"Rove is the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of
any generation. He not only is a breathtakingly smart strategist but also a
clever tactician. He knows history, understands the moods of the public, and is
a visionary on matters of public policy. But he is not a magician."

Just because you don't like someone, doesn't mean you can't admit they are good at what they do. We are talking about a man who made Bush president, twice. That takes skill, it takes brains and it takes an understanding of the public mood. He wasn't a magician, and if he were he would have been a black magician, but he was a great mind.

Laura Ingraham Talks Rove, Daily Kos

Daily Kos: Conyers on Rove:

Daily Kos: Conyers on Rove:

"'The need for Karl Rove to explain his role in the firing of the U.S. Attorneys
does not diminish when he leaves the White House. Our investigation to date has
revealed the White House’s contempt for the rule of law and its interest in the
politicization of the Department of Justice. 'While resignations at DoJ and the
White House continue to mount, questions raised by this investigation remain. We
will continue to seek answers to these questions and expect full cooperation
from Mr. Rove and other officials regardless of whether they are employed by the
White House.' "

I think that we might still see more of Rove. Can he proclaim executive privilege when he is not in the executive branch anymore?

Firedoglake - Firedoglake weblog » Because Conservatism Can’t Fail, You Can Only Fail Conservatism

Firedoglake - Firedoglake weblog » Because Conservatism Can’t Fail, You Can Only Fail Conservatism:

"“Yes, Karl Rove was a political genius—he was, after all, the successful
architect of Bush’s election in 2000 and reelection in 2004. But as the
President’s chief policy advisor, Rove was the architect of George W. Bush’s
betrayal of the conservative cause.” — Richard Viguerie

“Rove will be remembered for his political skills, which helped Republicans
stage a resurgence in the early 2000s, only to lose a grip on Washington last
year. Rove always had his hand in everything, and if I fault him for one thing,
it’s straying from conservative principles.” — Robert Bluey"

While attacks from the left are to be expected as Rove gets ready to take his leave, he is also being attacked from the right. The left has hated Rove because of his support for the war, and his political style that has gotten him involved in a number of scandals in the administration. Those on the right are attacking Rove for not being conservative enough. They are blaming him for the parties drift away from the conservative principles that it was founded on.

Fred's Team On Rove: Enjoy The Retirement

Captain's Quarters: Fred's Team On Rove: Enjoy The Retirement

"Asked about the prospect of a Rove-run campaign, former Rove spokesman and
current Thompson spokesman (ahem) Mark Corallo tells Radar, 'I really don't think Karl Rove is going to have anything to do with any campaign in 2008... I talked to him
today, and we shared some e-mails and I told him, 'Enjoy your time with your
family and take care of [your wife] Darby.''"

Regardless of the rumors that have started to spread that Rove was going to be joining the Thompson campaign, it appears he won't be. Statements from Thompson spokesperson indicate that there are no plans to bring Rove into the campaign. Rove himself has said in the past that he is pretty much a Bush person, indicating that he wouldn't back any other candidates. He has lots of time to write books, and do speaking appearances to make money.

Good luck with the rest of your life Karl.

KARL ROVE RESIGNING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE!

Stephanie Miller: Right Wing World: Rove Resigns

Ambassador Wilson On Rove’s Resignation | Air America Radio

Ambassador Wilson On Rove’s Resignation Air America Radio:

"“Karl Rove's resignation signals the final chapter in the Bush
administration's betrayal of the identity of a covert CIA officer. When this
breach of national security occurred, the President promised the American people
that anybody in his administration responsible for the leak would be removed.
Rove, identified by the prosecutors as one of the leakers, not only was not
summarily dismissed, but has been allowed to leave on his own terms, to praise
from the President. This sordid tale of compromising national security to
cover-up and distract from the false rationale for the invasion of Iraq will
forever remain in history a black mark on the Bush presidency.”"

Without Rove by his side is Bush headed for even more trouble, and if so will he be able to handle it. Rove has been one of Bush's strongest allies, and supporters, what does this mean for the future of his administration. In fact Rove was so powerful that many felt that he was the driving force behind a number of issues, and not the president himself. With Rove out of the White House, will he be forced to testify before congress? Will this mean less pressure on Bush or more?

The BRAD BLOG : BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Rove Pick for US Attorney Resigned After Conyers Requested 'Vote Caging' Evidence from BBC

The BRAD BLOG : BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Rove Pick for US Attorney Resigned After Conyers Requested 'Vote Caging' Evidence from BBC:

"Tim Griffin, formerly right hand man to Karl Rove, resigned Thursday as US
Attorney for Arkansas hours after BBC Television 'Newsnight' reported that
Congressman John Conyers requested the network's evidence on Griffin's
involvement in 'caging voters.' Greg Palast, reporting for both BBC Newsnight
and Democracy Now, obtained a series of confidential emails dating from the 2004
presidential election in which the GOP operative transmitted so-called 'caging
lists' of voters to state party leaders.
Experts have concluded the caging
lists were designed for a mass challenge voters right to cast ballots. The
caging lists were heavily weighted with minority voters including
African-American homeless men, students and soldiers sent overseas. "

I don't know what to say about this news. It is getting to the point where this administration is like a giant tree, with leaves falling off dead all the time. When you look at it, you see whole branches that are dead and the ground around it is littered with fallen limbs. I doubt that it can get anything done before 2008. It is hard to know how deep the sickness has effected the tree and how widely it has spread.