Why Rove Left

by emptywheel

Because GQ declared Hillary Clinton more powerful than Rove, and the Turdblossom couldn't bear that?

8. Hillary Clinton, 59, Democratic Senator, New York

9. Karl Rove, 56, Deputy White House Chief of Staff

It certainly might explain why Rove took that nasty dig at Hillary on the way out.

Comments

[Redshift]

Considering the whole "Mark of Rove" business, I'm giving credit to Jason Alexander's portrayal of Rove-as-Voldemort -- it obviously hit too close to home! (Or maybe Rove was embarrassed because someone had guessed his secret fantasy...)

[bmaz]

Heh heh. Not only is Rove finishing behind a Clinton, it's the second string thats whupping him. He would be down even further if the Big Dog was part of the discussion. By the way, Condiliar Rice at Number 1? WTF is up with that?

[Katie Jacob]

Dear Marcy, I hope it is ok if I am posting this unrelated comment here. I didn't know how else to send it and I wanted you to see this information.

I ran into Senator Stabenaw at a business event in Adrian MI today and I asked her why the Dem leadership allowed the FISA bill to go through. She said that there were real fears in congress, of an attack, specifically that there was alot of "chatter" about the 9/11 anniversary, and that some people on the intelligence committee were convinced, and that they felt they had to fix the FISA glitch in "foreign to foreign" before they left. She said that while she and Carl Levin did not vote for the bill, there were people of good intent that believed they had to support it( baecause of the risk of an attack). She said that she thought the bill was "way too broad". In response to my question about whether Congress would address this when they returned from recess, she said they would fix it, but she didn't think they would do it before the six month (re-authorization) period. I said with their (the administration's record) why would Congress trust them on this but she just answered by saying something like that it figured that they would do this at the last minute like they always do.
Personally, I do not believe it was an acceptable explantation. If they were so concened,they should have refused to sign that bill and stayed in Washington until they got one that was acceptable.
Katie Jacob
Birmingham, MI

[radiofreewill]

"Ken?"

"Yeah, oh, hey there!"

"I hope you're not too busy, but I have to talk to someone. Have you seen this month's GQ?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, Heather and Shimkus were just showing it to me today. I saw the list, and look, well you know, who makes those things up, anyway?"

"What a load of horseshit, Ken! You know damn good and well who makes those things up, godammit! The fucking editors of GQ are supposed to be our friends! Hoooonnnnnnkkkkk! Instead they're just miserable fucks!

"Oh, c'mon now..."

"Shut-up! There is No Way 'she' gets on that list higher than me! After all the things I've done for the cause, even my own friends are twisting the fucking knife! Oh, booo hooo hoooooo hooo!

"Well, she can't break it down and rap like you? Nobody can."

"That's it! That's the last straw! No more. I quit! Waaaaaaaahhh!"

*click*

[bmaz]

KJ - That is absolute BS. In the first place, why would you believe unsubstantiated claims of "chatter " or whatever from the Administration; and, if they had substantive credible evidence of a specific threat, then they already had more than enough information to get all the warrants, permissions and blessings of the FISA Court that could possibly be necessary. Absolute BS; and if these "good intent" members honestly bought off on this bull, then they are plainly to stupid to be serving in Congress.

[bmaz]

KJ - Just to be clear, I was saying Debbie Stabenow was BS, not you. You were right on the money with your comment.

[katie jacob]

bmaz: Thanks. I agree with you completely. Considering the fact that the administration has been caught lying to Congress so many times it is almost impossible to believe that they would fall for this.

[seamus]

They just wanted to get on with their previously scheduled vacations, that's all there was to it. The rest is self-serving BS, the dog ate my homework crap. They don't even care how bad it sounds, ANY excuse would have worked. They just don't give a shit about us, folks. We are irrelevant until election time again.

[Ish]

Rove thinks Hillary will be the candidate but that she is "fatally flawed."

Yet he spent six and a half years creating a climate conducive to her being elected - not an easy task.

(Unless she loses the nomination to a black guy whose middle name is Hussein.)

Way to go, turd blossom! Your plans are really coming together!

[readerOfTeaLeaves]

radiofreewill: ...[Hillary] can't break it down and rap like [Rove]? Nobody can."

Oh, Rove was RAPPING?!
I thought it was early rigor mortis.
My bad.

[Mary]

Here's some spec. Judge Walton just ruled that a gaggle of reporters are going to have to reveal their sources for their stories in the Anthrax cases. Of course, they may all pull a Miller and go to jail instead, but what if Rove was one of the sources of classified info to the reporters - gaming up the Anthrax investigation story in politically convenient ways to different reporters? If that was likely to come out, that he is AGAIN a possibility, that would make for a creepy case. A plaintiff before Judge Walton might have a much better shot at forcing Rove to comply with a subpoena if someone coughed up his name.

I only toss it in bc a) the timing and b) interesting to think of the Karma aspects of Walton getting a shot at Rove, even though Fitzgerald didn't go for goal with him.

[Mary]

Well duh - I'm going to have to start reading last to first instead of first to last. Marcy's just prior to this post - that is the ruling I meant.

[Tomire]

Why Rove left.

If I have to make a guess,

1. It's not because of investigations. He can simply ignore it then get pardoned. It works so far why stop now. Also, obviously congress hasn't stopped hunting him down after he left.

2. I think it's the party elders finally says. Rove must go, or GOP will be gone. The sub-prime crisis/credit crunch was the last straw. It cost everybody some $500B. And I bet Rove was about to do something stupid that undermind the confidence building the big boys/money men are trying to build. (probably some domestic politics language, relationship with TV, or relationship with europe) So the party elders finally say, enough is enough. Rove is out.

I mean, I don't think all those other reason making any sense. no external politics can drive Rove out. Only the most powerful GOP insider can do that. Somebody even more powerful than the chimp.

[Jodi]

Karl Rove

needs no new impetus to be depreciating of Hillary.

[Neil]

to deprecate Hillary

[Neil]

Another take on Rove's next gig from Froomkin,Wapo, 8/13:

...Rove will take a lead role in running Bush's presidential library. As Michael Abramowitz wrote in The Washington Post in March, Rove has already started spending a lot of his intellectual energy "trying to put his own distinctive spin on current events and the longer historical view."

Rove's signature political move is that, faced with a challenging political situation, he never plays defense. He attacks the problem head on and tries to co-opt the opposition's position. He does this even when it appears counterintuitive -- case in point, attacking John Kerry on his military record.

What could be more challenging today than spinning the Bush legacy? I fully expect Rove to start taking on Bush's critics with vigor and venom.

[Jodi]

Neil,

what appears to be conuterintuitive to you seemed actually to work. It is an unpleasant part of our politics. The attack ads.

And for the record I disapproved of that action.

My father, my mother, my two brothers, all having been in or still in the service disapproved, though only 1 voted for Kerry like I did.

[Neil]

"what appears to be conuterintuitive to you"

And what would that be? Not that I'm asking, just that I think it's funny I need you to tell me what I think.

[Neil]

It's ALWAYS important to have someone around who can make the boss relax. File this under "What is Andrew Card smoking?"

Froomkin: On CNN yesterday, former chief of staff Andrew Card praised Rove for his ability to get Bush to relax.

"Karl is very, very smart. He's highly ethical and very responsible, but he also knows how to make sure the president relaxes.

"He used to challenge the president with jokes and book reading contests, and not only would he challenge him on policy, but he would challenge him to the point that he could relax. That was very important."

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You can read this to mean Karl is smarter than he is ethical or responsible.