Rove’s ‘ossified,’ ‘profoundly wrong’ thinking

January 21, 2006

We haven’t heard too much from Karl Rove publicly for quite a while, but “Bush’s Brain” returned to the spotlight yesterday with a speech at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee and a message for the Republican faithful: let’s go bury some Democrats.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove offered a biting preview of the 2006 midterm elections yesterday, drawing sharp distinctions with the Democrats over the campaign against terrorism, tax cuts and judicial philosophy, and describing the opposition party as backward-looking and bereft of ideas.

“At the core, we are dealing with two parties that have fundamentally different views on national security,” Rove said. “Republicans have a post-9/11 worldview and many Democrats have a pre-9/11 worldview. That doesn’t make them unpatriotic — not at all. But it does make them wrong — deeply and profoundly and consistently wrong.”

A few random thoughts in response…

* The man who is touting the GOP on national security issues is the same man who is under a criminal investigation for his role in outing an undercover CIA agent, who specialized in WMD monitoring, to help cover up war-related lies. None of the media outlets I saw noted the irony.

* Rove insisted the Republicans avoid “ossified” thinking when mapping a political agenda. His innovative solution: tell voters that the GOP is tough and will cut taxes, which happens to be the same GOP message of the last couple generations. None of the media outlets I saw noted the irony of this, either.

* A few years after the president vowed not to politicize the war on terrorism, Rove “vowed Friday to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue in November.”

* If Dems are looking for a message to use in response to Rove’s broadside, I’d recommend this one: If the Bush White House went after Osama bin Laden with the same passion they go after Democrats, the nation would be better off.

So true. So true. Someone suggested in a discussion list that Osama serves much the same purpose for Bush as Goldstein did for Big Brother in 1984 as the ominous enemy without which covered up a lot of the sins of the enemy within. This is not to say that bin Laden isn’t a serious threat, but this might explain somewhat the unwillingness of Bush to pursue Bin Laden avidly. He is a handy symbol of the “eternal” war that the Republicans want to use to retain their power. Too bad there isn’t a color-coded security warning for the internal threats to our democracy.

  • I suspect the goal is to bully the left into submission. “If you’ll only agree to say we’re right,” the rights argues, “then we’ll stop calling you terrorist sympathizers. Unless there’s an election coming up, in which case we’ll have to say it anyway. Nothing personal.”
    Call it a hunch, but I don’t think we’re going away that easily. [The Carpetbagger]

    Acting in the best interests of our country (USA) requires battling the dividers currently running the country. That is the duty of all patriots, IMO…

  • Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee

    The “Islamic Fascists” are racially, culturally, and geographically distinctive from the neo-cons… but as “fundamentalist fascists” they are quite similar and actually derive power from fear in their homelands of their counterpart. They need each other.

    Our world culture has been infected by an interconnected fear based mal-ware scheme. Like those SOBs who infect your computer then sell you the utility to clean it, but with Bush the protection you thought you got from terror was in fact the virus you feared.

    Curiouser amd Curiouser

  • Ossified – having become hardened or conventional and opposed to change. Hmm, tax cuts and war on terror. Doesn’t sound very conventional to me. I guess this is what you fall back on when everything else youve done has either resulted in calamity (medicare prescription) or just been DOA (social security). This shows you the true nature of Rove. They talk about him as brilliant, but in reality, he is just a crafty marketing guy, who just also happens to be completely amoral. So, let that kind of guy loose on data and you’ll see what he comes up with. Works great for manipulating purchases of a product (or manipulating votes for a President) but has nothing to do with understanding policy. Problem is now, he has nothing left to attack or attempt to market to that he hasnt f-ed up already. So, back to the old standbys. While I will grant that the tax cuts did help the economy from 00-03 in terms of overall growth, in terms of standard of living it really just helped the rich get even richer. 90% of most households are still going nowhere, just like our economy is in reality. The fact about the tax cuts is that they helped ease the pain of a recession, but in the end they are mostly bad for the long run health of this economy, since they add to the unbalances which will prove our undoing in short order. Now when we have the real recession, either this year or next, there will be no usable fiscal policy left to help, and with real interest rates practically zero, there will be no liquidity helping monetary solution. So basically we’ve fired all the guns in this administration, both literally and figuratively, and we are now backed into a corner. We are fighting a “war” that was never declared as such, let our “leader” take supreme power at the expense of our personal liberties, and meanwhile left ourselves vulnerable to another attack. Anyone who thinks we are safe or that the war on terror is actually why we havent been hit since 9/11 needs to get out and read more. It’s just a matter of time before the “successes” of tax cuts and the war on terror are both exposed for the folly that they are. There is a rather good chance that both (another recession and another terrorist attack) will happen while Bush is still in office.

  • They’ve gone back to “fear and smear.” Next week, they will throw in the queer for another wedge issue. It’s all the party of “fresh new ideas” knows – fear, smear, and queer.
    Unfortunately, so far, it’s worked.

  • This shows you the true nature of Rove. They talk about him as brilliant, but in reality, he is just a crafty marketing guy, who just also happens to be completely amoral. [G2000]

    Right. The strategy is to talk tough on terror and accuse the opposition of cowardice and treason. The effect is to divide us and to weaken us. The amorality makes the Bush strategy all the more harmful. Anyone who cares about our country must fight the Bush Administration wholeheartedly…

  • To confuse ‘national security’ the campaign issue with actual national security is to lose the election.
    Ezra Klein nailed it recently:

    …there’s an implicit assumption among those recognizing Bush’s incompetence but nevertheless emphasizing his necessity that what really matters in the GWOT is how fanatically absolutist you are about it. The litmus test is enthusiasm rather than ability, and lots of determination is easily favored over calm competence.

    That’s fine, I guess, but it sort of puts the lie to the whole thing. For some of these folks, the War on Terror isn’t about protecting Americans or eradicating al-Qaeda, but about the vicarious thrill of participating, even in a passive, peripheral way, in a global, epochal conflict. And only those who sense the moment’s historicity can be considered equal to the task. So Bush may be playing Mr. Magoo on the world stage, but at least he “gets it,” and that’s far preferable to some small-minded man who won’t validate the neocon’s clash-of-civilations-style fantasies.

    The man elected governor of California made his name saying things like this in the movies:

    “What is best in life: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”

    That’s the essence of ‘national security’ the campaign issue. Actually securing the nation may not only not win the ‘national security campaign issue, it may preclude winning it.

  • * If Dems are looking for a message to use in response to Rove’s broadside, I’d recommend this one:”

    How about: President Bush why do you continue to have someone who willing to lie repeatedly to the American people while politicizing issues of national security in violation of the vow you made to the American people that your administration would never politicize American Security?

    If you believe Karl Rove is not lying, please identify the names of important democrats he claims exist in his scurilous statement, and the concerete evidence to back his charge:

    Karl Rove:
    “Let me be as clear as I can be: President Bush believes if Al Qaeda is calling somebody in America, it is in our national security interest to know who they’re calling and why. Some important Democrats clearly disagree.”

    Thats what you call a baldfaced lie, and for this and his many other duplictious statements and actions, having Karl Rove in your administration brings shame upon you.

  • The fantastic thing about Rove saying “let me be as clear as I can be” is that it is actually true. He cannot be clear, and this is a perfect example of the types of “truths” that emenate from the disgusting hole in his face. This line is pure Rovian twisting of reality, taking the Dems belief that the law should be followed in order to find out who is calling whom from Al Qaeda, and somehow, through his broken form of logic, turning it on its head.

  • Seldom does anyone face up to the fact that we were attacked on 9/11 because (1) in the minds of Osama bin Laden and his cohorts it was a religious offense for our troops to be camped Moslem counties, attempting to seize their oil and (2) the Bush White House didn’t respond to Clinton’s advice or it’s own intelligence (see Condi Rice). Both pre- and post-9/11, our government (not to mention 95% of our electorate) has never had any respect for Islam (or appreciation of the sometimes rival interest groups within that vast belief system). The GOP a defence against terrorism? Hah! Bush has said he no longer cares about bin Ladin … except, of course, when needs to crank up a little fear and loathing among the electorate. Our self-initiated “war” in Iraq is in no way a “war on terrorism” (at least not until we fomented universal hatred in Moslem world). Pre 9/11 (ever since the 1920s) and since, WE have been the criminals. We should frame the “terrorism” issue this way.

    Taking our cue from Bush and Rove, for 2006 we should “not care” about bin Laden (except to point out that the mightiest army in world has been unable to him to justice and doesn’t seem to care). Instead we should emphasize REPUBLICAN CRIMES — unprovoked massive bombing, kidnapping to imprison in “black holes” around the world, torture, turning Clinton’s balanced budget in more bankruptcy than all previous presidents put together, unwarranted eavesdropping on private citizens and lying about it, etc. These points must be “soundbited” and hammered home over and over and over again.

    Democrats have got to stop being so polite (or ego-inflated), assuming that, because they’re right, they only need to state something once and in one place. Democrats need a set of “talking points” and they need the party faithful to fan out everywhere to make sure that the least political among the electorate has “got the message”. And we need blow off (or ignore) those Democrats, like the Democatic senators on Judiciary Comittee, who spend so much time tooting their horn rather than attacking the GOP.

  • (versions posted earlier today at left coaster and next hurrah)

    karl rove

    “ossified” and “profoundly wrong”

    that sums it up nicely. thanks karl.

    it really is time to quite treating rove like some potent bogeyman.

    rove is, in truth and in fact, and despite all p.r. to the contrary, a singularly incompetent presidential adviser. he is (in conjuction with bush’s inherent unsuitabliity for the job of president) personally responsible for the administration’s horrendous five year failure of husbandry –

    in rove’s tenure,

    american society has not progressed, has failed to thrive, in terms of

    environmental and energy (the two are the same) problems it faces,

    security problems it faces,

    income inequality and stagnation problems it faces,

    fiscal problems it faces,

    scientific opportunities available to it,

    population health and aging problems facing it,

    elections and inclusive participation in elections.

    feel free to add to the list.

    each of these items is an arrow in our quiver. but we will need lots of fletchers because we must launch flights of these arrows –

    against rove the presidential adviser,

    and against the bush administration in general.

    with respect to rove’s latest pronounements,

    it’s the same old baloney.
    rove is a one trick pony.

    the only political tactic he knows is to employ a highly emotional issue (abortion, death, gay marriage, terrrorism/security, soldiers’ risks, an opponent’s sexuality, sexual deviancy, or courage) and use it to cloud discussion and debate on that issue and,

    and this is important,

    to preclude debate on other issues.

    that is precisely what is happening now. this rovian fatwah on fact and reasoned debate is being launched now in order to set the terms of discussion off the 2006 congressional elections.

    this is the same tactic that politicians in the south used from 1870 to 1960’s –

    in an election, talk

    sex, race, religion, and war,

    the antidote to this poison?

    fact, and repetition of fact.
    flights of fact.

    where do i go first on the web-log-world in the morning?

    to “think progress”.

    fact, and repetition.

    and by the way, has anyone observed instances in which rove was personally held accountable for administration failures? i haven’t.

    it’s time he was.

    fact, repetition of fact, humor, and ridicule applied to bush’s rasputin (my apologies to the demented monk).

    i could go on, but this is long-winded enough, metaphors are falling all over each other, and i need my second glass of iced tea.

    “true facts” man.
    it’s all about true facts.
    and repetition of true facts.
    lots of repetion.

    Posted by orionATL at January 21, 2006 08:52 AM

  • I like the take Oliver Willis has on Karl emerging from Bush’s hidey hole in the white house.

    Don’t Take The Bait on Rove’s Caca

    by Oliver Willis | January 20th, 2006 | 9:01 pm

    Karl Rove is evidently out there, inbetween visits to his lawyer ensuring that his candy ass doesn’t get sent to jail (like the other corrupt member of the White House staff who has been arrested for perjury), making stuff up about Democrats in order to get Democrats angry at him. Don’t take the bait.

    The Republican party has created a culture of corruption in Washington. Republican criminals, dealing with Republican politicians are involved in very real criminal acts inside the Congress and possibly in the White House (there are certainly pictures of Republican criminal Jack Abramoff being entertained by President Bush).

    The Republican White House has been spying on Americans. They could have simply gotten a warrant or asked congress to pass a law that would not require them to. They didn’t. Why?

    The Republicans have no plan for the war on terror. We are five years past 9/11 and still Osama Bin Laden has the capacity to taunt us. More American citizens have died via terrorism under Republican president George W. Bush than at any time in our history, and yet the criminally involved, corrupt Republican party in Washington refuses to take any steps to protect us. Instead the choose to use McCarthyite tactics to attack their political opponents and spy on American citizens without a warrant, eroding our liberties just the way Al Qaeda would want us to.

    http://www.oliverwillis.com/

  • Dangerously reckless in their prosecution of the war on terror– that’s what the Republicans are. Why did we have 80% of our Marine deaths in Iraq turn out to be completely preventable– why did it run out that the Marines just needed to get body armor in time?

    Because the Republicans left them high-and-dry, that’s why.

    Why do the Republicans keep fucking everything up? They’re totally misallocating resources in this war on terror, and giving the reins of command to the wrong people. This produces waste– like the waste of having Halliburton and Custer Battles steal tons of taxpayer money. Like giving the wrong individuals responsibility because they used to be Young Republicans. We need those public resources to save lives, not to be thrown into the wastbasket by Republican hacks and cronies.

    The sum of all this the war-on-terror equivalent of the waste of the Katrina devastation– waste that could have been avoided if the Republicans hadn’t been appointing incompetent, unqualified people to defend us against disasters, and if they hadn’t left New Orleans with an inadequate levy system.

    These people are endangering all of us and they need to be voted out. Sensible people who can cooperate on sensible efforts can stick around.

    That’s the message we have to bring.

  • Im still trying to think up a theme for the Democrats…but I think it needs to be something along the lines of “Righting the Course” because we are really heading in the wrong direction.

  • I really like your response. Maybe, we should compile messages and send them to the Democratic Party. Below is one I think would be effective.

    * If Dems are looking for a message to use in response to Rove’s broadside, I’d recommend this one: If the Bush White House went after Osama bin Laden with the same passion they go after Democrats, the nation would be better off.

    *Look at how this administration handled Katrina. Do you really trust them to protect you from terrorism?

  • The GOP has a cold war worldview where our enemies are states, and you change an entire region by demanding to tear down this wall. Democrats are the ones who have evolved to recognize the changing security problem. This isn’t state vs. state, but terrorists vs. states. That’s why with a competent leadership, any government could be persuaded to cooperate with us, because terrorists are all about overthrowing the government and establishing their own.

  • “the War on Terror isn’t about protecting Americans or eradicating al-Qaeda, but about the vicarious thrill of participating, even in a passive, peripheral way, in a global, epochal conflict.”

    Mr. Klein’s quote courtesy of Mr. Machina does indeed “nail it”.

    This GWOT is our team against their’s. Put a yellow ribbon sticker on your car next to your Patriots, Raiders, Bears whatever sticker and be part of the team. The Democrats want to take away our ongoing Terror Bowl.

    ShrubCo/RepubCo have no qualms about getting people revved up to fight. Just fight. Be against them. Who are they? It doesn’t matter. Just be with US and fight THEM. THEY want to hurt US in so many ways. And the Democrats don’t see the urgency in fighting THEM. And indeed the Dem’s look on befuddled. There’s no there there. But ShrubCo and it’s marketing staff have created a wonderful mental image of struggle and ever pending VICTORY over THEM. But we have to STAY THE COURSE. WE – HAVE – TO – STAY – THE – COURSE.

    Idiot Americans love staying the course. They don’t know what the hell it means. They don’t know who’s in charge of defining the course. They don’t know why any of it. But they want to stay it.

    Rove knew there was a button of pointless, baseless, aimless fear to be pushed. Some folks would be aware of the button but would hope for higher aspirations and try to move people past their button responding tendencies. Not Karl. He’s put everything he’s got on the table that people can be herded by fear and their desire to not be alone or overly independent. Too much freedom. Too much independence. It’s scary. And other people who want a lot of freedom and independence probably can’t be trusted. They’re not part of the team. They need to be reined in. And ShrubCo has said they will do that. For US. And we can still go shopping. Thank G*d for ShrubCo.

    How are the Dem’s going to fight this? It’s a mind game as much, if not more, than a reality. People want to be lead. People want to follow. People want to be part of a team. People want to perceive themselves as GOOD AMERICANS. Democrat’s are not being persuasive with arguments of logic and they’re not even being forceful with those.

    ShrubCo is channeling it’s own brand of fascistic B.S. and it’s not failing. People have been lead down this path before. It was mental then and it’s very mental now. Get with the program. Be part of the team.

    ShrubCo/RepubCo will have to be confronted in the most basic way to have any effect if that’s possible. Their motives and goals must be questioned with real force and sincerity. Even at the risk of having the questioner’s patriotism itself questioned. They are promoting a coup at a time of very, very weak leadership. How will the country respond? 230 years isn’t all that long. Just adolescent growing pains or the fading flare of a bright falling star?

  • Idiot Americans love staying the course.

    They prefer anything (staying the course, religious mumbo-jumbo, seeing photos of celebrities and reading brief lines about their pregnacies and divorces) to the ultimately difficult task of THINKING.

    It doesn’t help when their “leader”, the Regal Moron, can’t make it up to the “standards” of the average American.

  • I think most of the premises of the “war on terror” are seriously flawed…

    And, frankly, I think Rove is raising the terror issue now because he’s scared s***less about Republican prospects in the fall elections with the ongoing corruption scandals…the only thing worse than a sex scandal a la Monica is a corruption scandal a la Teapot Dome – and Abramoff and DeLay look pretty bad at this point.

    Having said that, tho, if Rove wants to play ball with the Dems on the terror issue, I think it’s time the Dems demand results from Bush and begin to set the agenda:

    -Send Bush the message that it’s time to wrap up the war on terror – it’s a few thousand nutcases that need to be apprehended at most and brought to justice, for God’s sake…and give Bush a deadline for Osama’s capture. Bush has had 4.5 years to date and Osama is still at large. Demand “metrics” from Bush and demand that he deliver.

    -In a larger sense, don’t buy into this generational warfare nonsense…start posing the hard questions as to why we are at odds with Islamic culture – if Bush says one more time that it’s because they hate “freedom” I’m gonna hurl my TV set (and don’t let it devolve into a shouting match about Israel, either)…adopt the Cold Ward paradigm of detente and begin to engage with the Muslim world.

  • “Idiot Americans love staying the course.”

    A song for our times (to the tune of “Old McDonald”)

    We surrender our freedom for security alerts
    eee iii ee ii oooo
    We don’t think spying on our country will hurt
    ee iii ee ii oooo

    With a terror terror here,
    And terror terror there,
    Terror terror everywhere,
    Political Parties are a Farce,
    eee iii eee iii oooo

  • “with the same passion they go after Democrats”

    substitute “Jack Murtha” for Democrats – the msm thinks it’s ok to go after democrats.

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