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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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Karl Rove's resignation, first reported on early on Monday in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, caught the news media by surprise. But perhaps because of the August news doldrums, or perhaps as a reflection of his impact on modern American politics, his departure is getting saturation coverage from the media most of it quite negative. In fact, amid the torrent of criticism toward Bush's top strategist, there are derisive comments some anonymous from Republicans. The CBS Evening News, for example, reported that "one high-ranking Republican," not named in the story, said Rove "is leaving the party, quote, in tatters." The Washington Post quotes GOP Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, "who spent two years at the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the House," saying of Rove, "He had visions of building a long-term coalition like the New Deal coalition for the Democrats. ... The party right now is not moving forward. It's moving backward. The branding for the party is at a generational low."
In the Los Angeles Times, GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio says "Karl will always be known as a brilliant political operative who has a great tactical sense. But tactics only get you so far. Did they change politics forever? No." Adam Nagourney, in an analysis piece for the New York Times that states that Rove "leaves the White House anything but victorious," quotes John Weaver, "a former senior adviser to Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who has had a long history of fighting with and working with Mr. Rove." Says Weaver, "He was the head coach of the political team that won the equivalent of the Super Bowl two times in a row. But other things he did are more subjective: the kind of campaigns that were run and their impact on governing."
Another New York Times piece notes Rove is drawing "scorn from some of his own onetime supporters," including conservative blogger Michelle Malkin. Conservative commentators David Frum, in the New York Times, and Jonah Goldberg, in the Los Angeles Times, also criticize Rove, accusing him of not pushing enough conservative ideas. USA Today, meanwhile, notes "former GOP chairman Rich Bond said Rove had 'a very good beginning and a dismal ending' to his White House career. 'The magic ended in 2004,' he said." In addition, on the CBS Evening News, "Republican insider Ken Duberstein" accused Rove of having taken an excessively political approach to governing.
But the GOP criticism of Rove was mild compared to what some media commentators were dishing out. On MSNBC's Hardball, David Schuster reported, "After once predicting a permanent Republican majority, now with the GOP in its worst shape in 20 years and the president facing the lowest approval rating of any president in 30, today...Rove called it quits." On network TV, an ABC World News piece by David Wright was particularly harsh on "The Architect." Wright reported, "After 9/11, he helped the President press his political advantage, sometimes going too far. He accused the Democrats of offering therapy and understanding to our attackers. 9/11 families asked him to stop." And by 2006, "not even Karl Rove could spin the Iraq war as a success." Also on ABC World News, George Stephanopoulos said of Rove's legacy, "Back in 2003, the number of Americans that said they were Republicans equaled the number that said they were Democrats. Today, the Democrats have a nine-point lead." NBC Nightly News showed Joshua Green, senior editor of The Atlantic, saying, "I don't think that history is going to view...Rove as a genius. I think that label wore off a while ago." Green reprises his criticism of Rove in a New York Times article, arguing that Rove's "proposed policies unleashed a series of failures and unintended consequences."
On its website, Newsweek reports, "There is no suggestion that Rove was pushed out," but "there's little doubt Rove is leaving under a cloud." The Politico says that "increasingly, it is apparent that the Rove era may not broaden the movement begun by Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan but could instead mark the end point of a period of Republican majority." The AP concludes Rove's "political genius helped make Bush president." But "his arrogance helped make Bush a lame duck." The Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune and Christian Science Monitor run similar assessments.
The Los Angeles Times blasts both Bush and Rove in an editorial titled "Rove Quits While He's Behind," in which it asks, "Rove is leaving. Will Rove-ism remain?" Meanwhile the Financial Times, in an analysis piece, refers to the "2006 defeat" for the GOP as "the death knell of 'Rovianism.'" The Washington Post asks, "If the manufactured polarization of the Bush-Rove years did not even serve its ostensible purpose, then what was the good of it?" USA Today and Financial Times reach similar conclusions in their editorials. Eugene Robinson, in a blunt Washington Post column, writes, "Buh-bye, Karl Rove. On your way out of the White House, don't let the screen door hit you where the dog should have bit you. ... 'I'll be on the road behind you here in a little bit,' Bush said to Rove as the two men faced reporters yesterday. Not soon enough."
Rove: To Dems "I'm Moby Dick" The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Rove, "in a telephone interview with McClatchy Newspapers," said he "expects congressional Democrats to continue efforts to get him to testify in an inquiry into the firings of eight US attorneys. 'They're going to keep coming after me,' Rove told McClatchy. 'They've got a bunch of guys auditioning for the role of Captain Ahab, and I'm Moby Dick.'" In fact, The Politico notes "Democrats on Capitol Hill still want to see him testify on at least one issue -- last year's firing of nine US attorneys -- and possibly more." Rove's departure "'does not legally change one thing' in the pursuit of Rove and the information he might hold, said a Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee aide." And "in a statement Monday, committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) vowed to press on."
The New York Times and Washington Post run similar stories, and the New York Times editorializes that Rove "can now contemplate that legacy from his home in Texas. But he should not get too settled in. Congress needs to use all its power to bring Mr. Rove back to Washington to testify -- in public and under oath -- about how he used his office to put politics above the interests of the American people." Most reports, however, note Rove's resignation does not change the White House's claim of executive privilege that has kept him from testifying so far.
An Emotional Farewell After the news became public yesterday morning, Rove and President Bush appeared together at the White House lawn to make it official. The Houston Chronicle reports that with "his voice choking with emotion," Rove "called his service 'the joy and honor of a lifetime.' He said his years working in the White House were 'an exhilarating and eventful time,' and thanked Bush for 'your integrity, character and decency.'" Bush "called Rove 'a dear friend' and wished him the best back home in Texas. 'I'll be on the road behind you a little bit,' said the president, whose term ends in 17 months." The AP recounts that "after a lengthy hug from Bush and then Laura Bush, Rove joined them on the president's helicopter. Rove, his wife and their son flew with Bush on Air Force One to Texas, where the president began his August vacation." NBC Nightly News noted "the President had tears in his eyes" when he bid farewell to the aide who, says the New York Times, "most personified the bare-knuckle brand of politics" he "favors."
Rove granted several interviews yesterday. The Washington Times reports that asked about his future plan, Rove said, "I may do some of the speaking tour for a little while, but I really need to sit down and figure out what I'd like to do. ... I'd like to teach, but in the meantime, I've probably got to figure out something I can make some money at." In her blog for USA Today, Judy Keen says Rove told her "he won't be working on the 2008 presidential election." The Wall Street Journal, on its website, runs a transcript of back and forth with reporters aboard Air Force One. After discussing his reasons for leaving the White House, he offered an optimistic view of where Bush and the GOP are going: "We're in the midst of an unpopular war, and he's been hammered by the Democrats. But I would point out to you, the Democrat Congress is less popular than the President, and they got there a heck of a lot quicker. As the war in Iraq -- as it's clear to the American people that the surge is working, the President's popularity will rise."
On its website, U.S. News and World Report listed "10 Things You Didn't Know About Karl Rove," among them, "Rove's parents divorced when his stepfather, whom he considered his father, came out as gay. Rove would meet his biological father 20 years later. ... During Rove's tenure at the College Republicans, the organization was accused of encouraging 'dirty tricks' in the 1972 campaign." Bush "is known to give people nicknames. Among Karl Rove's nicknames are 'Boy Genius' and 'Turd Blossom,' which is a flower that grows in cow dung."
The End Of An Era Beyond many commentators' distaste for what they see as the Texan's "political jujitsu" tactics, Rove's departure for Texas is being greeted as the effective end of the second Bush presidency. Summing up much of this morning's coverage, Dallas Morning News reporter Wayne Slater, author of "The Architect: Karl Rove And The Master Plan For Absolute Power," told CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, "This is the end of the Bush presidency, absolutely. All lame ducks are lame ducks. This one, with...Rove now turning out the lights is the most lame duck we have seen in a long time." The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls it "the latest and most dramatic signal that Bush himself is heading toward the exit," while ABC World News reported that "Bush is now very much a lame duck." Likewise, the Wall Street Journal says that for Bush, "Rove's resignation...all but certainly signals the end of whatever hopes he still had of winning major political victories in Congress."
Some Praise For Rove Not all media commentary was derisive of Rove. Democratic strategist Donna Brazile told USA Today, "Karl outside the White House is more dangerous to Democrats than Karl inside the White House." Brazile believes "he'll have lots more free time now to dream up ways to boost...Bush's standing, 'rebrand' the GOP and conquer the 2008 electoral map." Bruce Buchanan, a presidential historian at the University of Texas in Austin, says Rove has been "a huge help to Bush. ... Whether helping Bush helped the country is another question, he added, and it may not be settled for 50 years." The Wall Street Journal says Rove's departure "could add to the demoralization in Republican ranks," because "whatever Mr. Rove's own liabilities in addressing Republican concerns, local officials found it heartening to have the man perceived as a political 'genius' at the top, looking for a way out of the mess."
In an editorial titled "Rove's Brain," the Wall Street Journal writes, "His rare mastery of history, demographics and policy made him a formidable political force, and we suspect it is his success far more than his methods that infuriates his critics."
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, praises Rove in a Washington Post op-ed, for his work on campaigns that "will define America for a generation." On Fox News' Special Report roundtable, Fred Barnes said it is "ludicrous" to blame Rove "for the 2006 defeat." Also on Fox News' Special Report roundtable, Nina Easton of Fortune Magazine said Rove is "not some genius, but he is a very smart political adviser. He was smart in 2000, 2002, 2004 -- three Republican gains. We haven't seen that since the 19th century."
Fox News' Special Report (8/13, Goler) reported that "critics called Rove the brains behind...Bush, but experts say that was just a way of denying Mr. Bush's skills." Larry Sabato, University of Virginia, was shown saying, "Bush, believe it or not, to his critics, is a highly intelligent fellow." Sabato also "suggests Rove's current problems were just a blip in the president's political legacy." Sabato: "The extent that Rove was a political liability, he had already taken his toll on the Bush administration."
The CBS Evening News reported, "Americans are starting to come around on that troop surge in Iraq. In our CBS News poll out tonight, 29 percent say the surge is making things better. That's a 10-point increase since July."
In 1994, Cheney Argued Against Invading Iraq CNN's Situation Room reported, "In a 13-year-old interview now surfacing on YouTube," Vice President Cheney "said that invading Iraq war would lead to a quagmire. The video now has almost a quarter-million views." In the 1994 interview, Cheney said, "It's a quagmire if you go that far and try to take over Iraq."
The stock markets, which concluded last week's volatile gyrations by closing slightly higher at the end of last week, closed down a few points on Monday as central banks such as the Federal Reserve slowed their efforts to inject liquidity into the markets. The Washington Post reports the New York Fed, "which carries out the central bank's market operation, minutes after the opening bell announced $2 billion in overnight repurchase agreements." The Fed's action "follows a move by the Bank of Japan to put $5 billion into the markets and an addition by the European Central Bank of $65.3 billion; the ECB added more than $200 billion last week." The Dow Jones industrial average "fell 3.01, or 0.02 percent, to 13,236.53. Broader stock indicators also fell. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.72, or 0.05 percent, to 1,452.92, and the Nasdaq composite index retreated 2.65, or 0.10 percent, to 2,542.24." The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today, among other media outlets, run similar stories this morning.
Administration Quietly Assesses Response In a story on Goldman Sachs investing $3 billion to stabilize one of its hedge funds, the Washington Post also reports, "Bush administration sources said they are assessing the need to speak publicly on the credit crunch, lest too many voices create confusion or prompt retail investors to think the problems are deepening." Instead, authorities "are keeping their public comments to a minimum even as Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Board officials are reaching out privately to lenders, brokerages, banks, credit rating agencies and other market participants for real-time data about the size and scope of the situation."
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Sen. Hillary Clinton holds wide leads in national polls, but most polls show her in a dogfight with John Edwards and Barack Obama in the lead-off state Iowa. Clinton is now tapping into her war chest in an attempt to break out there. The Des Moines Register reports the "first Iowa television ad of" Clinton's presidential campaign "seeks to reinforce the image of a caring person who would use the presidency to help needy people ignored by President Bush." In the ad, Clinton says, "As I travel around America, I hear from so many people who feel like they're just invisible to their government." The Register adds Clinton "singles out people needing health care and affordable child care, as well as soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, contending they are among the Americans who have been overlooked by the Republican incumbent." The AP reports, "The 60-second spot, which goes up Tuesday on Iowa television, intercuts scenes of Clinton interacting with voters and delivering a portion of her standard campaign speech in which she speaks of the challenges facing many working people." The Clinton campaign "spent roughly $360,000 to run a moderate level of ads in Iowa over the course of a week and a half." The New York Daily News reports on Clinton's ad, which "portrays the former First Lady as a leader who has spent her life fighting for people others don't see. Music swells as images of" Clinton "walking across a farm field, touching a baby and placing her hand on the shoulder of a white-haired lady dart across the screen."
The media appears to be split on Clinton's strategy. The New York Times reports that Clinton "may be running in the wide-open Democratic primary battle, but this commercial leaves the impression that she is running against President Bush - which she is, to a degree." Radio Iowa reported on its website that the ad is "designed to soften the New York Senator's image." Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack previewed the ad for reporters, saying that "the ad's theme is reminiscent of a catch phrase used by Clinton's husband when he was president -- 'I feel your pain.'"
A new poll out from CBS News shows Rudy Giuliani opening up a 20-point lead over Fred Thompson, his nearest rival, who seems to have faded. Giuliani takes 38 percent in the poll, followed by Thompson, 18 percent; Mitt Romney, 13 percent; and John McCain, 12 percent. The results were briefly covered on last night's CBS Evening News broadcast. CBS News adds on its web site that Thompson's 18% was "a seven-point drop from last month," while Romney improved by 5% over the July poll. Meanwhile, GOP "primary voters appear to be growing more content with the Republican candidates for president: 46 percent say they are satisfied with their choices, up from 36 percent a month ago and 30 percent in June. But 49 percent say they are not satisfied."
USA Today reports Mitt Romney "is worth between $190 million to $250 million, making him the wealthiest 2008 presidential contender by far." Romney's Federal Elections Commission disclosure report "provides the first public look at his vast wealth." Romney and his wife "have kept their assets in a blind trust since Romney became governor of Massachusetts in 2003." The AP reports Romney's "vast wealth is spread over a dizzying array of foreign and domestic investments that at times have been sold to avoid conflicts with his public stances, the trustee of his blind trust said Monday." Among the investments "sold by trustee R. Bradford Malt were holdings in companies known to have interests with Iran, including French and Italian oil companies. Romney earlier this year called for state pension systems to divest themselves of Iran-related stocks." The New York Times reports Romney's disclosure shows "his family received over $8 million in income last year from his former firm Bain Capital, including some earned through a tax break Congressional committees are trying to end."
The State, in Columbia, South Carolina, reports that Sen. John McCain said yesterday "he most likely has to win two of the first three nominating contests to become the Republican Party's 2008 choice for president. In a 70-minute interview with editors and reporters at The State newspaper, McCain brushed off questions of what caused his campaign to stumble and nearly collapse this summer and said 'we're doing fine.' 'I've asked frankly about 1,000 questions about' what happened to the campaign, McCain said, 'and I'm not going to talk about it anymore.'" McCain added, "We had some budget miscalculations and we fixed them and we're very happy with where we are. We just came from New Hampshire where we had packed town hall meetings. We had enthusiasm at every stop. I'm very happy with the political financial base. And we're going to be fine." The State notes, "Asked Monday if he has to repeat as winner in New Hampshire, McCain was quick to answer. 'Yeah, I think. Since 1980, every nominee has won two out of the three -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. I would certainly say New Hampshire is a critical part of not just mine, but anybody's campaign."
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Craig Ferguson: "The President's advisor, Karl Rove, announced he's resigning. ... I didn't think anyone at the White House had an exit strategy. I was amazed to hear that."
Craig Ferguson: "Karl Rove, though has been called Bush's brain, I don't really know if that's a compliment, really, is it? It's like being called Paris Hilton's talent or something. It's like being called Trump's hair."
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