Karl Rove to leave the White House.
Reminiscing for a moment, I walked away from politics after 9/11 because chat board bickering felt beyond tasteless. Having worked on both Republican and Democratic campaigns it seemed reasonable to me that either party deserved a chance to make things right.
To be honest I probably would have stayed gone from politics if not for Rove. The dust had barely settled on the dead bodies in New York, DC and Pennsylvania when the White House started gaming the terrorism issue for political advantage. The Even without the documentary proof that we have today detailing how Rove sent political commissars to supervise every Federal department including DoJ and, ludicrously, the ambassadorial corps, reminders that the White House planned to use every issue to demonize and marginalize the Democrats came practically every day.
Important bills (the PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security) were written and rewritten to make it as hard as possible to get Democrats to vote for them. The 2002 midterms and the buildup to the Iraq war. Rove’s “permanent Republican majority” lay behind practically everything the government did. Republicans who don’t appreciate being labeled diaper-wetting morons who cheer on war from the safety of mom’s basement might appreciate how I responded to hearing that I couldn’t possibly have come to my opinions honestly, that I hate America, support Saddam and want the terrorists to win.
Rove obviously had help. Tom DeLay left his personal thumbprint on Congress and the smog’s roots stretch back at least to the Gingrich revolution. It would be hard to say what direction George W’s genial bumpkin act might have taken without constant guidance from Dick Cheney’s stronger hand. But even taking all of that into account, too much of Bush’s government carries Rove’s signature to call the repulsive atmosphere of the last six years anything but his. Walking out with a year and a half to go won’t change that.
***Update***
It may be a case of ensuring he is an “ex-official” by the time his skeletons in the cupboard are fully exhumed, of course, as has been the case with many another Bush official who has quite “for the good of The Family”. It’s been a hallmark “fall on your sword” loyalty move for Republican heavyweights this last six years and there have been plenty of indications in various congressional investigations recently that where there’s been allegations of wrong-doing – for instance of serious Hatch Act violations – then Rove has been instigator and director.
Or it may be that, as he’s returning to Texas, he has his eye on a new Texas Republican dimestore cowboy to promote. There are persistent rumors down here of Gov. Rick Perry positioning himself for a veep run. Personally I think Perry is more ambitious and less aware of his own inadequacies than that and may be looking to emulate another ambitious and inadequate Texan governor.
Jake
Woo hoo! One less turd [blossom] in the bowl. I’m surprised he’s leaving the safety of the White House and wonder where he’ll go next. (Romney? Thompson?)
What I found interesting was this (from the AP article that made my day):
Said as he’s scrabbling the contents of his desk into a box. [Insert pun on his last name here.]
Should be interesting. I wouldn’t get between any senior staffers and the nearest exit for a while.
myiq2xu
Whatever they might claim, Rove didn’t resign “to spend more time with his family.”
Rove’s Collary to Occam’s Razor: “The innocent explanation is always wrong.”
ThymeZone
This is the way I will remember Karl: Champion of Democracy.
The paradigm is clear: If a Democrat wins a close one, there must be some cheating going on.
But let’s appreciate his true legacy: A Democrat majority on Capitol Hill, which is sure to grow next year. I can’t think of anyone who could have pulled off that turnaround faster than Karl did.
TR
Is Karl taking THE Math with him?
zmulls
Perry?
Boy, I wish Molly Ivins were around for that one. “President Goodhair” has a nice ring to it.
ThymeZone
Onion material?
“Bush To Name Manson as New Political Advisor”
George Bush announced today that he will name convicted murderer Charles Manson as his chief political advisor to replace the outgoing Karl Rove.
“Charlie is a man of God” said Bush during a photo session with visiting dignitaries at the White House this morning. “In fact, he thinks he is God. I can respect that kind of resolve in a man. I know he’ll do a heckuva job for us in the final year of my administration.”
White House staffers close to the story said that plans are being made to move some functions inside the administration to the California State Prison facility at Corcoran in order to accomodate Manson’s living arrangements.
grumpy realist
Perry? Running for President?
Well, considered what dimwitted idiot Rove has already managed to shove into the White House for two terms, maybe he thinks he can do Puppet Master, Round II.
At some point, I have to look at all the shenanigans and say that the American public WANTS to be fooled.
Rusty Shackleford
I think Rove will end up with Giuliani or Thompson because the only way a Republican can win is by selling “fear” and they’re the only ones who can deliver Rove’s material. If Romney starts in on how the nation will be more likely to be attacked if a Democrat is elected instead of himself, people are going to wet themselves from laughing so hard. Both Giuliani and Thompson can play the “scary brown people” card much better. Romney hasn’t shown that he’s able to be be even half the lying scumbag that Giuliani has proven himself to be so what would he even have in common with Rove?
ConservativelyLiberal
IMO, Rove does not make a move without a reason. There has to be some point of gain here that we are not seeing yet. Something has prompted him into doing this, and I do not think it is a fear of what the Democrats will do. He has laughed in their face, and it is clear that he does not fear them.
It goes without saying that if Rove gets in trouble, Boy George will bail him out the same as he did with Libby. They really have this whole thing down and they play the government like a violin. If anything, this period of our government shows that there are some mighty big loopholes that these guys were able to drive right through. Fieldings presence alone speaks volumes about what they have been up to.
Actually Tim, I hope the door hits him on the ass on the way out. Hard.
RSA
I like this bit from the WSJ:
“Your instructor this semester, Mr. Turdblossom, studied political science at the University of Utah during the Viet Nam war; he was awarded a draft deferment before dropping out. As close friend and advisor to what many historians call the worst President in U.S. history, he will give a first-person account of the sudden transformation of the Republican Party into a regional organization with limited political power.
Mr Furious
Andrew Sullivan summed it up perfectly:
The only problem is if Sullivan and others let the truths of that passage walk out the door with Rove. Pinning all that on Rove, and Rove alone, lets Bush off the hook. Bush was a willing participant and the prime benificiary of those actions, and the same “party over country” condemnation deserves to be clearly attached to him as well.
Billy K
Perry is abhored here in Texas. I don’t know anyone – Hard Right Republicans included – who likes him. Yet he easily wins re-election. I’m not entirely sure what that says about our system and our state, but I really don’t think that’ll fly on a National scale (though it’s hard to discount after 43’s victories).
ThymeZone
A similar situation exists here in Phoenix, where County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is universally despised, a laughingstock of a man and public figure. But he can’t lose an election.
What’s the deal? Simple: Elections count the votes of people who show up to vote, not the votes of people who cluck their tongues over the tragedy of Joe Arpaio but don’t bother to vote. Voter apathy might be the single biggest political force in America.
My favorite Arpaio story (and there are so many) is of the time he sent deputies into a sparsely populated desert area to look for something that probably wasn’t there. A drunk old man living in a trailer nearby heard noises and went to the door a fired off a couple of rounds to scare off the varmints he thought were outside.
Soon Arpaio had the trailer surrounded with an army of law enforcement, equipped with his Mobile Command Center and a tank. Never one to shy away from a camera, Joe was soon on tv declaring that he’d “protect his deputies” from being attacked, no matter the cost.
The trailer shooter was never convicted of any crime.
Anyway, if 40 percent of your voters turn out, a guy like Arpaio can be elected by 20 percent of your voters.
Twenty percent of voters is available to support any crazy candidate or proposed measure anywhere in this country on any given day.
GOTV is the moral of the story.
Zifnab
Rove played the hand he was dealt – a party with tons of money, no realistic domestic or foreign policy, and a letter that wasn’t (D) in front of its name. It’s hardly his fault that the party’s incompetence did itself in. Don’t ever underestimate Rove’s ability to get people elected. Please, please, please don’t think that means the people he gets into office know what the hell they’re doing.
Your options were Perry, Strayhorn (you’d think this would be a no-brainer, but Perry’s holding the reigns of power and Strayhorn was largely seen as a spoiler), goofy libertarian Jewish Cowboy Author Kinky Friedman, and an evil Democrat. Most people who voted for Strayhorn or Friedman would have voted for Perry just because he’s not a Democrat – or just stayed home. So that leaves you with the Republican Power Machine or the gerrymandered and knee-capped joke of a Texas Democratic Party. Why am I not surprised who won?
When Texas Dems are ready to run a hispanic candidate for serious office, it’ll be dumb-founded at the support it can garner. Rove knew that.
Billy K
I remember Arpaio (ex-Phoenician here). He has a steadfast following, and benefited from a lot of good publicity when he took office (remember the pink uniforms, tent city and rotten baloney stories? People ate that up!).
Perry…I just don’t know. Last election was a definite case of splitting the vote. There were two Bona Fide Conservatives (Perry and Carol Keaton Strayhorn), one very weak Democrat (Chris Bell) and Kinky. Those 30% or so who will always vote for Perry voted for him. The rest got kinda muddled up. I really think Perry coulda lost in a 2-way race with a solid contender. He won last time I’m sure just by coasting on post-911 sentiment and lots and lots and gobs of cash.
It’s disgusting.
Oh, and I can’t believe Sheriff Joe hasn’t run for any higher office yet. I guess he loves his job.
Billy K
It didn’t help ol’ whatshisname in the Dallas Mayoral election last go-round. If a Hispanic (and a pretty good candidate IIRC) can’t get elected Mayor in Dallas, that tells me Hispanics still don’t GOTV.
The Other Steve
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
I’m surprised Sullivan doesn’t realize that was their goal all along.
Jake
Uh-huh. The Bush as Puppet meme allows some people the small comfort of thinking they voted for cute little monkey, not the mean old organ grinder.
“No one could have possibly foreseen that a man who surrounded himself with vicious, calculating, sneering bastards would turn out to be a vicious, calculating sneering bastard.”
Whatev.
aliceandbob
Arrivederci, Rove-a.
Grumpy Code Monkey
Texas Democrats did run an Hispanic for Governor in 2002 — Tony Sanchez. He gave good sound bites, but as soon as he was off-script it became obvious that he had no clue what he was doing. He lost handily.
After the 2006 race, I want a runoff system. You shouldn’t be able to take state office with less than 40% of the vote.
Texans have plenty of reason to be mad at Perry as Governor; the Trans-Texas Corridor boondoggle, appointing an honest-to-God (heh) Creationist to chair the state board of education, mandating HPV vaccinations (a twofer there; the social conservatives wet their pants because it would “promote promiscuity”, while sane people were pissed that the state would provide no financial assistance to people who couldn’t afford the vaccination), the list is pretty extensive.
Having said all that, I could see Perry as somebody’s Veep, in the Dan-Quayle-official-funeral-guy mold, not the Dick-Cheney-as-evil-puppet-master mold.
My wife wants to move to some other state, and it’s getting harder for me not to agree, especially now that Turd Blossom is coming home for good. There’s a lot I love about this place, but none of it has to do with the politics.
Tsulagi
Yep, that guy isn’t going home to watch his ear hair grow. He’s a workaholic and he loves the game.
My guess is more likely he’s leaving to get the swift boats tuned. Not much he can do around the WH these days other than dodge subpoenas, plus Karl loves that kind of stuff. Even if he doesn’t have a chimp in this race, he’d want the R win.
cain
Karl is going to hook himself up to some new “R” candidate or one of the existing presidential candidates and start his machinations all new. I hope he eats a bad date and sits an election year out.
cain
Billy K
I agree. Think it’ll happen? (Me neither.)
I could see Perry as an emoty suit Veep candidate just to ensure those Texas votes stay in the R column. He certainly wouldn’t be a Cheney – he doesn’t have the brains or ambition (but plenty of the greed).
yet another jeff
Speaking of Jeff Gannon…
Zifnab
I totally forgot about Sanchez. Of course, the guy was pretty forgettable…
ConservativelyLiberal
One thing I keep hearing the right say regarding the evidence of wrongdoing by this administration (on a array of things that stink) is that ‘no crime’ or ‘no wrongdoing’ has surfaced, therefore the administration has done nothing wrong. I am bringing this up here as I have read the above in right wing watering holes today (relating to Rove, but it is the same argument used for other officials), and I find what they say is very disingenuous.
Lets put it in the view of basic law enforcement. If an officer is out patrolling and he sees something that may not look right, he investigates it. He does not wait until there is evidence of a crime. If he sees something that is ‘just not right’ or it catches his attention, he investigates and gets to the bottom of it.
In the case of this White House, there is now no effective way to look into possible abuses by the administration. Not with the new standards that the right has been instrumental in creating. There has been plenty of stuff going on that ‘just does not seem right’, and it has attracted the attention of this Congress. But with this administration, everything is redacted, classified, obfuscated or declared as executive privilege. You can claim that this is just partisan Democratic actions by the House and Senate, but that does not excuse stonewalling and non-cooperation by this administration.
The right likes to say that if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about. Well, does that apply to the president? If there is suspicion of wrongdoing, does the president have a responsibility to come forward and show that there was none? Or are we to just assume that unless the president is found with a dripping dagger in his hand, he has never done anything wrong?
So those of you who say ‘nothing to see here, move along’ when discussions arise about possible wrongdoing by this administration, remember the lack of cooperation when a Democrat becomes a president. Remember that the president can cover everything with a blanket of executive privilege. I am sure that you will be willing to give a Democratic president the same benefit of the doubt, the same leeway to do whatever they want to without any oversight.
I will bet that you will be the loudest, shrillist howlers about possible wrongdoings of a Democratic administration, and that you will absolutely demand answers. Boy am I going to love the payback when that happens, and I bet it will.
Remember, your guy set the new standards that other presidents are going to follow. You only have yourselves to thank for that. Karma can be a bitch, eh?
;)
jake
The neo-con response would be “Of course the officer should investigate, silly moonbat. But the only things that could possibly arouse his suspicions are brown and/or poor people. Do you see any poor brown people running this country? Well then. Nothing to see here…”