White House Watch: Bush aides push back on Rove
Bush surrogates have stepped up their attacks on Democrats who want President Bush to fire Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for his involvement in the Valerie Plame matter. While the White House continues to maintain silence in the case now before a federal grand jury, surrogates like the Republican National Committee accuse Democrats of using the issue to attack the president.
"They're really close to overreaching," said one Bush associate, who charged that the Democrats are taking their cues from liberal MoveOn.org. The RNC, meanwhile, has issued talking points that accuse Democrats of being "engaged in an overt partisan smear campaign."
The RNC notes that Rove and the White House are cooperating with the special prosecutor and argues that Democrats are making a mistake in jumping to conclusions that Rove broke any law by talking to a reporter about the Joe Wilson-CIA story.
"Democrats don't have confidence in the rule of law or the investigatory process," said an RNC talking point. "If they did, and believed their false claims, they'd let the investigation proceed. They are more concerned with short term political headlines than getting to the bottom of the matter." Other administration associates are suggesting that the Democrats are making a mistake by focusing on the issue because it's driving home charges that the party lacks big ideas and instead wants to block the president's agenda.
The anti-Rove agenda, said one, "is not going to win [the Democrats] a lot of red or even purple states." Said another surrogate, "After holding their collective breath early last week, the GOP is now breathing fire in defense of Rove. If there is no crime, there is only politics. Lay off, Democrats. Plus anytime Moveon.org starts protesting no small number of people say, 'Ah, more crap from the left.' "
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