How quickly they forget

June 23, 2005

Karl Rove in April (via Froomkin):

“Unless you have clear evidence to the contrary, commentators should answer arguments instead of impugning the motives of those with whom they disagree.”

Rove, yesterday:

“Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.”

On a related note, among those demanding an apology from Rove are Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, though I suspect that number will go up. In fact, I thought Reid’s statement was particularly good.

“Karl Rove should immediately and fully apologize for his remarks or he should resign. The lesson of September 11th is not different for conservatives, liberals or moderates. It is equally shared and was repeatedly demonstrated in the weeks and months following this tragedy as Americans of all backgrounds and their elected representatives rallied behind the victims and their families, united in our common determination to bring to justice those responsible for these terrible attacks.

“It is time to stop using September 11th as a political wedge issue. Dividing our country for political gain is an insult to all Americans and to the common memory we all carry with us from that day. When it comes to standing up to terrorists, there are no Republicans or Democrats, only Americans. The Administration should be focused on uniting Americans behind our troops and providing them a strategy for success in the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq. I hope the president will join me in repudiating these remarks and urge Mr. Rove to take appropriate action to right this terrible wrong.”

Update: The Families of Sept. 11 are also less-than pleased about Rove’s outburst.

As families whose relatives were victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, we believe it is an outrage that any Democrat, any Republican, any conservative or any liberal, stakes a “high ground” position based upon the September 11th death and destruction. Doing so assumes that all those who died and their loved ones would agree. In truth, some would and some would not. By definition the conduct is divisive and, because it is intended to be self-serving and politicizes 9/11, it is offensive.

We are calling on Karl Rove to resist his temptations and stop trying to reap political gain in the tragic misfortune of others. His comments are not welcome.

I’d like to see a count of apologies from Left and Right. Durbin did it, the guy who named them “Freedom Fries” sort of kind of apologized. Who else has actually apologized for something?

  • White House adviser Karl Rove should either apologize or resign for saying liberals responded to the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes by wanting to “prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers,” Democrats said Thursday.

    The Bush administration still claims that somehow Saddam Hussein was linked to the 9/11 attacks and what is going to happen to him? That’s right he’s going to be tried. There are thousands of enemy combatants in Gitmo that may or may not eventually stand trial. Sounds like the conservatives want to hand out a lot of indictments, just not for the person (a guy by the name Bin Laden) who was ultimately responsible.

    It is easy for the Republicans to spew incendiary rhetoric (and gain political clout)about 9/11 because they had the power and Dems didn’t. They get to take all the credit for the military response to 9/11. But the response to 9/11 would have been no different if Al Gore were president. The connection between the Taliban and Al Qaeda was indisputable and I find it unfathomable that someone would argue that Gore and Democrats would have ignored this. The only arguable difference would be Iraq. Maybe if Gore were president, the invasion of Iraq never happens, resources would not have been diverted from the search for Bin Laden, and he would have been captured by now.

  • Reid calls on Rove to apologize or resign which is the right tone. Americablog helpfully provides Rove’s phone number as
    (202) 456-2369. Call to complain and the sec will lightning quick route you to the WH comments line. LIght the f***ing switchboard up and reinforce Reid’s message!

  • “Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.”

    Apparently sen Durbin’s words are so dangerous that the GOP feels compelled to put a video of Durbin’s speech on the GOP website…I guess its only dangerous when Al Jazeera broadcasts it.

    Credit to Wonkette for pointing out that bit of hypocrisy.

  • Reid calls on Rove to apologize or resign which is the right tone. Americablog helpfully provides Rove’s phone number as
    (202) 456-2369. Call to complain and the sec will lightning quick route you to the WH comments line. LIght the f***ing switchboard up and reinforce Reid’s message!

  • I’m sure Rove will appologize as soon as he finds his conscience.

    I don’t think we benefit by wrestling that pig.

  • Number 6 above. Karl Rove doesn’t have a conscience!!!!!!
    Don’t hold your breath waiting for an apology!!

  • Unfortunately you just have to give Rove credit for being the best propagandist since Joseph Goebbels. Of course that’s really not something to be proud of. How is it possible that so many Americans are gullable enough to believe that if Democrats were in power on 9/11, the country would lay in ruins at the hands of terrorists and Saddam and Osama would be sitting around smoking the hookah and laughing about how they destroyed the greatest country in the world. Wake up America, you can’t be that stupid.

    As is customary today, I will apologize in advance for the Nazi comparison.

  • Umm, troops in danger?

    Durbin’s remarks, if anything, indicated to anyone in the Middle East– hell, anywhere else on Planet Earth except for Wingnutland– that there are still sane, decent, honest Americans in this country, who speak the truth and still have fully-operating moral values and consciences.

    I’d guess that our troops are a lot safer when they are held to standards of military and judicial conduct which are recognised and considered upstanding throughout the world.

    The actual *acts* of torturing people and locking them up without any rights or due process, however, certainly threaten the lives of our troops overseas. I think the people responsible for authorising, funding, and ordering such acts *must* be made to apologise, or, better still, to be fired or jailed. That includes Rumsfeld and Bush, of course.

    Explain to me how standing up for law and order could in any way be to the detriment of our troops? I think– and it seems a lot of veterans agree– that our military is endangered by committing *acts* that are more in line with totalitarian regimes, than they are by anyone *denouncing* such acts or telling it like it is.

  • If you call the number for Karl Rove above, which is really the White House operator, and ask for Karl, you are now shunted directly to the White House comment line. I guess the operator assumes that everyone who wants him is calling to complain.

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