White House Watch: Rove in Aspen as Bush pushes relief
Despite President Bush's emphasis on rebuilding the gulf states after Hurricane Katrina, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove found time to visit a super-exclusive conference this past weekend sponsored by leaders of Forstmann Little, the investment company, in Aspen, Colo. A White House official said Rove's appearance was "on the books" for a long time and he decided to proceed with the trip, but the official provided no further information. However, a prominent Republican with strong connections to Capitol Hill got wind of Rove's jaunt and wasn't pleased.
"What the hell is Karl Rove doing there?" he asked. The GOP insider wondered whether it was appropriate for Bush's political guru to hobnob with the rich and powerful at the exclusive resort at a time when the administration is supposed to be focused on helping the victims of hurricane Katrina and showing empathy for their plight.
Rove, according to White House insiders, has been designated by Bush play a big role in coordinating the relief effort.
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