Right now, a bitter battle goes on in Washington and in the media. Reporters and Democrats are calling for the head of Karl Rove on pike posted in front of the west wing. One could wonder how the White House could defend Karl Rove in such a situation. What many forget is they don’t have too. Karl Rove’s best defense isn’t President Bush, it’s himself.
President Bush began his climb up the political latter shortly after his father lost the White House back in 1992. Bush decided he wanted the job and didn’t screw around. He beat a very strong Texas governor in Anne Richards and after looking good in Texas and some extraordinary polishing; he went after the big dogs in D.C. The man who washed him and cleaned him up was Karl Rove.
Karl Rove was Bush’s chief strategist back in during his run as governor of Texas and during both his campaigns for president. He’s Bush’s deputy chief of staff. All the nasty little things that surface through various groups during Bush’s campaigns were Rove’s doing.
Senator John Kerry’s military problems got all the talk they did because of Rove. Questioning Senator John McCain’s patriotism and mental stability were hatched from the brain of Rove too. His Texas tactics were equally as evil or brilliant depending how you look at it. He did get his job done, which was to get George Walker Bush into the governor’s mansion and then the White House.
When political issues come up, Rove’s the man they talk too. Right now to shake heat off of him, the GOP is attacking Joseph Wilson IV, a former diplomat. An editorial once said what Rove does when he’s on the defensive is he attacks and he attacks hard. He’s doing it again. If things go as planned, Wilson won’t be able to sell lemonade on street corners.
When all this first broke back in 2003 and then subsequent federal investigation, this turned into a freedom of the press issue so reporters wouldn’t reveal their sources. Novak, who printed the story, stayed quiet and low key for the most part and Matt Cooper and Judith Miller wouldn’t back down though. But even that battle, while being fought for the last couple of years had almost died until the going to jail stuff came up.
Time magazine gave in and turned over the notes. Then Rove’s lawyer signed a waiver for Cooper saying he could talk and boy did he. Rove’s name shows up all over the leak. So now what? The way things look, a federal law may not even have been broken. Bush said before that no one in the White House would do this sort of thing. Well, they did. So they can’t talk now because of the investigation. OK sure, the press has to take that because they’ve got no other choice.
The administration is keeping quiet right now because politically, anything they might say could damage them. Rove knows this quite well so he advises calm and quiet. Rove will handle this himself, like Darth Vader flying out to meet the X-Wing pilots.
Rove will use many of his skills with reporters and the media. He will do some quality work and PR damage control to totally deflect the issue from him, the White House and the administration in its entirety. It wouldn’t surprise me when this is done if Wilson didn’t end up in the hoosegow somehow. Mark my words though, nothing, absolutely nothing, will happen to Karl Rove.
As a student of history and a political watcher, I appreciate a good political flimflam. There have been many others but in recent years, this one has been quite good. Watch what happens. Rove will calmly work his magic and regain control of the agenda here by a bit of wedging probably, like with that traitor, Joe Wilson, and the liberal media plotting its vengeance for the damage to some of its own. It’s already started too. Check out the GOP website and some others. I always heard a PhD. meant piled higher and deeper. If that’s the case Rove should have about 50 of them. I don’t like him I guess but I do have a sneaking admiration for Karl Rove because he is incredibly good at what he does. Yep, he doesn’t need anyone to defend. He can do it all by himself. Remember, Darth Vader survived and fought again.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
