Quote of the Day: Karl Rove Edition

"Frankly, Rand Paul spending a lot of time talking about the mistakes of Bill Clinton does not look like a big agenda for the future of the country."

Karl Rove, on Rand Paul's political strategy for the 2016 presidential election.

You know when I agree with Karl Rove that must mean Rand Paul's obsession with Bill Clinton's sex life is a political loser.

Shocking News: No One Liked Ted Cruz at Prnceton & Harvard

Blogger Josh Marshall went to Princeton at the same time as Ted Cruz. Marshall has no memory of Cruz. Marshall asked friends that went to Harvard at that time what they thought of Cruz. Apparently, the words "asshole" and "jerk come up when describing Cruz.

My friend [redacted] went to Harvard Law with Ted. [He] says that Ted shocked people when during the first week, he announced that he was creating a study group and only people with high GPAs from the Big Three Ivies could apply for admission. In short, Ted managed to come off as a pompous asshole at Harvard Law.

Cruz's social skills haven't improved since he became a Senator. It is bad when Chris Wallace and Karl Rove go on Fox News and say Congressional Republicans are pissed at Cruz.

Romney's Fantasy-Based Campaign

The Romney campaign falsely believed that The Drudge Report and the late Andrew Breitbart's media empire was going to replacement mainstream media. Anyone who saw Karl Rove's meltdown on Fox News knows that is not going to happen. You can only bullshit people for so long before reality comes crashing down. Lenny Alcivar, spokesman for the Romney campaign thought otherwise.

When this election is over, one of the lessons that will be learned by the mainstream media is that they no longer have a toe-hold on how Americans receive their news. Never before –in a way that has taken Democrats off stride –have we seen the confluence of an aggressive online community, led by Breitbart, and an aggressive campaign team not willing to cede an inch of ground to Democrats. This combination has created a new political reality. We no longer allow the mainstream media to define the political realities in America. The rise of Breitbart, Drudge and others, combined with an aggressive Romney campaign is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the conservative movement. If I talk to Breitbart about an issue, thousands more will hear our message than if we give a quote to one of the hill rags.

Alcivar's interview with Breitbart News reminds me of an infamous encounter journalist Ron Suskind had with a President Bush staffer. That staffer is believed to be Rove.

The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he define d as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment priniples and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality --judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''

Just like the Bush administration, the Romney campaign wanted to create their own reality. That is why they believed in skewed polls and bogus political consultants. The result was Obama winning a second term. Living a in fantasyland is what people do when they don't have empirical evidence on their side.

Bullshit Mountain on Election Night

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Watching Karl Rove go down in flames is hysterical. Fox News failed on such a grand scale on election night because the fantasy bubble their were creating got popped by American voters. The Mitt Romney landslide predicted by Dick Morris never happened. The myth that Fox News sold about Obama not being mainstream could not be held when the President won the popular vote and electoral college. This is what happens when a propaganda outfit pretends to be a news network.

Sarah Palin Winning Like Charlie Sheen

Pay no attention to Karl Rove saying that Sarah Palin will run for President. A Dittman Research poll Palin's approval rating at 36 percent in her home state of Alaska. Palin's unfavorable rating is 61 percent. In a hysterical twist is Palin's arch-nemesis Lisa Murkowski has a godlike approval rating of 71 percent.

Winning!

Quote of the Day

“As someone who was a leader in the White House that turned a record surplus into a deficit, that got us in a war that we never should have been in, and turned the floor of the New York Stock Exchange into a casino? I don’t think the American people are quite ready to hear a lecture from you on good governance.”

Bill Burton, former Obama administration spokesman slamming Karl Rove on Fox News.

I guarantee that if Burton was still serving in the Obama administration he would take Rove's criticism and say both parties need to compromise. Burton's remarks (unsurprisingly) tell me the The White House's poor messaging comes directly from President Obama and filters down. Obama does not want confrontation. The Republicans want to rip Obama a new one. The result is Obama's poll numbers are sinking to Rick Scott levels.

The Gallup poll shows Obama with a 39 percent. Three months ago Obama's job approval was 56 percent in the Gallup poll. Obama's strategy triangulation and giving the Republicans everything they wanted it the debt ceiling deal killed his poll numbers and resulted in Standard & Poors downgrading the United States credit rating. I would like the Obamabots to explain to me how Obama is playing three dimensional chess and I am not smart enough to realize what a political and policy genius the president is. Go ahead, Obamabots. Tell me.

Marco Rubio on Roe v. Wade

All pro-choice Florida voters should take heed of Marco Rubio's press release. Rubio plays to the social conservative base by blasting Roe v. Wade.

“On this day, we remember the tragic Roe v. Wade decision, whereby the Supreme Court determined that equal protection and equal rights do not apply to the unborn,” Rubio said.

“As Florida’s senator, I will continue to be a voice for not only winning hearts and minds on life issues but also to support pro-life policies, such as a prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions. I also pledge to support well-qualified judicial nominees who will interpret the laws of our land, not establish new policy from the bench as the Supreme Court did in Roe v. Wade 38 years ago.”

Rubio doesn't have the political courage to say he will sponsor anti-choice legislation. Social conservatives attempted to ban abortion in South Dakota in 2006. Voters rejected the ban. South Dakota only had one abortion clinic in South Dakota. If Republicans and social conservatives could not succeed in South Dakota then it is hard to believe Republicans in Congress have the courage for a federal ban. Republicans could have tried during the Bush years but punted.

Republicans are cynical about the Christian Right. The Bush administration's faith-based program was all PR and never actually got off the ground. Karl Rove was worried about social conservative voters. Rove told Don Willett, "Just get me a f—ing faith-based thing. Got it?" Rove wasn't exactly channeling Jesus with that comment.

Quote of the Day

"45 percent of NPR listeners were Saddam Hussein."

Karl Rove, using one of his usual inflammatory attacks.

This is the same kind of baseless attack Rove used on the political campaign he run. It doesn't even make sense. A certain amount of NPR listeners (plural) are a single deceased third world dictator. The only way for Rove's statement to be accurate is if NPR brought Saddam Hussein back from the dead. Statements such as this is why Rove should not be taken seriously as a mainstream pundit.

Quote of the Day

"You know, look. The purpose of this [the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)] was to stabilize the financial sector, which it did. And then, the intention was that any unspent monies or any money that was returned to the taxpayers would go to deficit reduction. Since President Obama came to office, the federal deficit has grown by $1.46 trillion. That is 1,460 billions of dollars."

Karl Rove, on Fox and Friends

Boy that is a big whopper of a lie. The Congressional Budget Office reports the federal deficit was $1.2 billion on January 7,2009. The date was shortly before President Obama was sworn into office. I am less than thrilled with Obama's lack of fiscal conservatism. However, for Rove to blame Obama for the deficit takes brass balls.

Karl Rove Hearts Marco Rubio

Another reason to not vote for Marco Rubio: Karl Rove told MSNBC he gave a $1,000 contribution to the Rubio campaign. Rubio raised $1 million during the third fundraising quarter. That isn't enough to compete with Gov. Charlie Crist's fundraising prowess. During the second quarter: Crist raised $4.3 million in 50 days.

Rubio wants to be the Barry Goldwater of Florida. Goldwater preached conservzative principles and ran hard to the Right. Memo to Rubio: Goldwater lost to Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 election, by a total of 468 to 52 electorial college votes. Democrats have a significant voter registration advantage. Florida voters are rejecting the Karl Rove brand of conservatism. Rubio believes Republicans lost the last two election cycles because they were viewed as too liberal. That is an intectually dishonest assessment. Nancy Pelosi isn't House Speaker because of her conservative principles. Republicans lost because their trickle down tax policies and neoconservative foreign policy was a failure.

No Big Tent in Texas

David Carney is a political consultant for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Carney made a comment that illustrates how the GOP is not serious about being a Big Tent Party.

Carney said he agreed the Republican Party needed to attract new voters. But, he added, "that doesn't mean you take your principles and throw them out the door and become a whorehouse and let anybody in who wants to come in, regardless."

Female Republicans are angered by Carney's statement. Former Republican National Committee member Denise McNamara and other conservative women want Perry to apologize and denounce Carney.

"As businesswomen, community leaders and mothers, it is always concerning and disheartening when we see people resort to behavior aimed at belittling women. Therefore, you cannot imagine how appalling it was to see your campaign's chief strategist liken our Senior Senator's primary campaign to 'opening the doors of a whorehouse,'" they wrote in a letter to Perry on Tuesday.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is running against Perry in the primary. The Hutchison campaign has used the Carney quote against Perry. The Governor is doing his best to distance himself from Carney. (That does not include firing Carney.) Perry appeals to the far-right elements of the Republican Party. Hutchison wants the party to steer away from social issues. What could hurt Perry is far-right candidates do bad in high turn out elections. Hutchison has unofficially recruited Karl Rove as a campaign advisor.

Hutchison's political team believes its campaign would benefit from a higher turnout and is targeting center-right voters, including suburban women and economic conservatives.

"What Hutchison is saying is that what most of us are looking for is a party that has core fiscal principles – Republican principles that include people who may or may not agree on the social issues," said Rich Galen, a GOP political consultant and one-time Hutchison adviser.

It will be interesting to see if Perry attempts to use his office to suppress voter turnout.

Meet the New GOP

The new DNC ad hightlights the Republican Party's problem. They don't have new stars on the horizon. Bobby Jindal crashed and burned with his State of the Union response. Jindal came on the national stage and automatically became a punchline.

Obama With 84 Percent Approval Rating

The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Barack Obama's approval rating going through the roof. I am not sure what makes Obama so popular. Being the anti-Bush does not explain these outlandish numbers.

The poll is good news for the mood of the country. 6 out of ten Republicans approve of Obama. 93 percent feel Obama's inauguration is a celebration of democracy. Previous CNN polls showed most Americans believed the 2001 and 2005 inauguration were a celebration for Republicans.

The Karl Rove strategy was focusing on red state turnout and wedge issues. It was effective. However, it alienated half of the country. If you doubted the administration's national security policy then you are with the terrorists. Rove questioned the patriotism of Vietnam veterans John McCain, Max Cleland and John Kerry. The Bush people felt only they were entitled to wrap themselves in the flag. Obama ran a cordial that avoided smar tactics. That endeared Obama to independent voters.

Obama used the McCain campaign's smear tactics against them.

"Sen. McCain and his operatives are gambling that they can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance. They'd rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up," Obama said at an event in Asheville, North Carolina.

"That's what you do when you're out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time," he said.

During the campaign, I complained about Obama not going more negative. This is why I'm a blogger and Barack Obama will be sworn in as President of the United States.

Civil Rights Is Not A Laughing Matter

Karl Rove and Bill Kristol literally laugh off serious claims that the Bush administration profiled and violated the civil rights of American Muslims. Even if you agree with the Bush administration's detainment policy (which I don't), Kristol and Rove show a childish lack of sensitivity.

KRISTOL: What have we done to Muslims in America? What has happened?

JENKINS: Arrested them.

KRISTOL: We’ve arrested Muslims in America? [LAUGHTER]

JENKINS: Incarcerated them without trial.

KRISTOL: We’ve incarcerated Muslims in America without trial?

ROVE: Rounded them up? Rounded, rounded them up? Name one?

KRISTOL: Nonsense.

ROVE: Name one instance.

JENKINS: The, [UNCLEAR] belabor me all day with lists of people who have vanished. Vanished.

ROVE: You know-

KRISTOL: Well, that-

ROVE: This is on the border of lunacy, with all due respect.

JENKINS: But you didn’t need to do it, you didn’t need to do it-

ROVE: We didn’t do it!

The United States just aren't detaining American citizens. Canadian Maher Arar was detained during a JFK International Airport layover. He was rendition to Syria and tortured. The Canadian government has cleared Arar. The Bush administration will not talk publicly about Arar's case.

"The information is also significant because it shows that the CIA was involved, and that two days after Maher was jetted out of the U.S., before anyone knew where he was, CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) officials thought the U.S. wanted to send him to a country that 'could have their way with him' -- confirming that the U.S. officials who sent Maher to Syria did so to have him interrogated under torture," she said.

"The revelations from last week about complicity and torture confirm our worst suspicions of the dangers of unchecked executive power in a democracy," Jason Gratl, president of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, told IPS in an interview.

"The willingness of the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to mislead the judiciary with respect to the origins of the information derived from torture demonstrates once again that balance of power must be rectified."

Kristol and Rove are delusional. They are less scary than torture architects Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. The latter felt the United States was too timid and wanted even harsher torture.

No Spin Zone

Karl Rove has a rare moment of public candor. The forum was Canada's Fraser Institute.

Last night, he did party spin but said something significant.
A Toronto businessman asked him if he thought Sarah Palin would make a good President.

"I don't know," said Rove.

The punchline writes itself.

Quote of the Day 2

"I only work for Republicans — and Joe Lieberman."

Karl Rove

Not Such A Boy Genius

The GOP establishment is now lashing out at Karl Rove. These Republicans are mad that Rove drove their party into the ground. It would have helped America and the GOP if these Republicans were courageous enough to voice their criticisms when it mattered. Instead, they let Rove polarize the country and blow CIA operative Valerie Plame's cover. Republicans are only lashing out now because they fear losing another election and Rove is no longer in the White House.

"Machiavelli's Shadow" doesn't portray Rove in a favorable light and Alexander includes plenty of interviews with GOP notables unsatisfied with Rove's influence during the Bush administration.

"Every Republican I know looks at the Bush administration as a total failure," said Matt Towery, chairman of Newt Gingrich's political organization.

“To do what he did politically to us is unforgivable," Rep. Tom Tancredo told Alexander. "It will take generations to recover. I don't know how long; maybe never."

"I think the legacy is that Karl Rove will be a name that'll be used for a long, long time as an example of how not to do it," said long-time GOP strategist Ed Rollins.

Another interesting item: George W. Bush fired Rove in church. The reason is so Rove's explosive temper would not get out of control.

Karl Rove Can't Drive 55

Investigative blogger Lindsay Beyerstein discovers a Karl Rove speeding ticket from September of 2007. Rove's speeding ticket was issued in Walton County, Florida. I keep wondering if he was listening to Sammy Hagar's I Can't Drive 55 when he was busted.

The Rove story gives me the excuse to Hagar's so-bad-it's-good video. Check out the the hair metal outfits Hagar and his band are wearing.

White House Will Never Run Out of Reasons Not to Talk About Libby

On December 10, 2007, White House Press Sec. Dana Perino was asked about Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The White House previously said couldn't comment on Libby while the courts were reviewing his case. Libby dropped his appeal that day and the press corp asked Perino about President Bush's saying he would fire anyone involved in leaking Valerie Plame identity. The grand jury investigation proved that Karl Rove and Libby leaked to the media. Bush fired neither.

The White House was not officially out of excuses to not discuss the Libby matter.

Q Okay. Well, now that the appeal -- there is no longer any appeal, can you speak to what the President thinks about Scooter Libby disclosing the name of a CIA official?

MS. PERINO: I did not have a chance to talk to -- chance to speak to the President after this announcement was made this morning, and so I don't have his immediate reaction. He gave a lengthy statement in July in regards to the commutation and so I'll have to refer you to that for now.

Q But he didn't talk about what Scooter Libby had actually done in that --

MS. PERINO: And as I said, I haven't spoken to the President about it, so I'm not able to provide you anything else at this moment.

Watch the video. It is one of the lamest performances I have ever seen by a Press secretary.



Perino now had a whole day to ask Bush how he feels about Libby. What is the new excuse.

Q Have you had a chance yet to speak with the President about Scooter Libby since he dropped his appeal?

MS. PERINO: Well, you might have missed the gaggle, but I'll refer you to those comments I made in the gaggle.

Q Okay. And yesterday you said that you weren't allowed to characterize the President's reaction to the CIA tape destruction story. Who stopped you from characterizing the President's reaction?

MS. PERINO: As I said before, the Counsel's Office has requested that we not make any further comment beyond what I've already said; so that's where it came from.

The grand jury investigation has ended. Special Counsel Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said he will not attempt to bring new indictments. What possible legal reason is there for Bush not answering why he didn't fire Rove and Libby like he promised.

That is all a smoke screen of gotta journalism. Rationale people have learned long ago that Bush doesn't give a shit about the law. What the press should hammer Bush on is Libby telling the grand jury the President "specifically had authorized" the leak.



Former White House pinata Scott McClellan states that Bush had him say vouch that Libby and Rove were not involved in the leak.

So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

There was one problem. It was not true.

Very cool, right?

I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the president himself.

Bush doesn't want to talk about Libby because he is responsible for the Plame leak.

Update: Bill O'Reilly sends Fox News goons to McClellan's house. My favorite part of the video is O'Reily saying, unlike CNN and MSNBC, Foc News actually does reporting.

Jill Simpson Blows Whistle On Karl Rove & Bob Riley

This is a breaking news story of how Karl Rove used the Justice Department for political payback against Don Siegelman (D). Rove did not want a recount of the Alabama Governor's election. The results would have challenged bob Riley's victory.

John Conyers released the sworn testimony of Jill Simpson.

In a closed-door interview with committee staff, Simpson recalled how Rob Riley, current Gov. Bob Riley’s (R) son, told her about Rove’s role in a plan to prosecute Siegelman if he did not back down from contesting the 2001 gubernatorial election results that handed the office to Riley.

According to the transcript, Simpson described a 2005 conversation with Rob Riley, who told her that Rove had contacted the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice to press for further prosecution of Siegelman. She said Rob Riley also recounted how the case would be assigned to a federal judge who “hated” Siegelman and would “hang Don Siegelman.”

Blogger Glynn Wilson that Simpson has dealt with intimidation for coming forward.

Her house has already been burned down and one of her vehicles has been run off the road and totaled since she decided to seek justice and come out against the Bush and Riley political machines in the case of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and deposed HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy. While there may be no proof of a connection and there may be no connection at all, knowing the history of how hard the Bush's are willing to play in their pursuit of power, it has to make a person just a tad concerned - under the circumstances.

Here is a earlier affidavit Simpson made. She recanted the allegations that Siegelman's campaign placed Riley signs near a Klu Klux Klan rally. She told the House Judiciary Committee Siegalman dropped his challenge after learning the signs were moved. This smells like Riley's people attempted to start a bogus controversy to scare Siegalman.