I wouldn’t want to be seen with him either

October 19, 2005

What’s that old saying? Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend? It’s a saying that may have significance when considering Karl Rove’s recent political appearances — or in this case, lack thereof.

Over the weekend, for example, the WaPo noted that Rove was scheduled to appear in Northern Virginia at a Republican “Pep Rally Breakfast” in support of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore. Soon after activists took their seats, they were told that Rove couldn’t make it. The local party official said Rove had a “scheduling conflict.”

As it turns out, these “conflicts” for Rove are becoming increasingly common.

Juggling appearances before a grand jury and conservative admirers didn’t seem to make sense, so presidential adviser Karl Rove has canceled three such outings as he waits to hear whether he or anyone else will be indicted in the leak of a CIA officer’s identity.

Rove canceled plans to attend two Republican fundraisers, the national party confirmed Tuesday. And he did not give his scheduled speech to the conservative Hudson Institute think tank on Oct. 11.

Republican National Committee spokesman Brian Jones said scheduling conflicts kept Rove from an RNC fundraiser Monday night in Greenwich, Conn., and a Virginia Republican Party fundraiser Saturday.

Jones would not specify what the conflicts were or whether they had anything to do with the federal grand jury that Rove has testified before four times. “He was unable to attend,” Jones said.

It’s also worth remembering that the RNC added that Rove “currently has no plans to appear at upcoming RNC events.”

What do you know, Karl Rove has become a liability for Republicans.

I’d argue that he’s not a liability yet.

I honestly think the majority of voters don’t understand or even know what’s going on with this investigation. Plus, the bush “true believers” think that this is going to end with Wilson & Plame indicted (if the blog trolls are sincere).

I think this is a sign of how sure they are that something wicked this way comes. If they were sure that everyone was getting off scott-free, rove would be out hamming it up and using this “witch hunt” as a means of fundraising.

The administration knows rove screwed up & it’s finally gotten through to them that he’s not going to get away with it this time.

  • Right now, Rove may indeed be seen to some as a political albatross. Time will tell if he instead has “cement shoes” that will drag the rest of the Rethug scum to the bottom of the political crapper. Or, to use another metaphor, help sweep the Bush fascists into the dustbin of history. Five years too late, to be sure, but a welcome result nonetheless!

  • It’s worse than Watergate.

    Rove is taking the fall.
    He’s a good soldier.
    (plus he gets to keep the Jaguar.)

    But will it be enough to stopper up the truth?

    Namely: That Bush and Cheney have Plame’s blood on their hands too.

    Clearly this administration is riddled with cancer.
    The time has come to sacrifice a limb to try to save the torso.

    Anybody know the Vegas odds on Bush resigning?

    One more thing:

    All this republican prattle about the “criminalization of politics.”

    Let’s not forget what their Dear Leader said:

    “If there’s a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is,” Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. “If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.

    “I welcome the investigation. I am absolutely confident the Justice Department will do a good job.

    “I want to know the truth,” the president continued. “Leaks of classified information are bad things.”

    He added that he did not know of “anybody in my administration who leaked classified information.”

  • I would agree with GMF that Rove may not be seen as a liability quite yet. They keep asking him, he’s just not showing up. Which I can understand. If I was him, I’d be out partying wildly 24/7 because there might not be too many more chances for unrestricted travel pretty soon. Maybe those are the ‘scheduling conflicts’ everyone keeps hearing about lately. Non-stop hookers and blow….but that’s just me, he’s probably locked in his bedroom on his knees and bowing his head, trembling.

  • Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be funny if the last time anyone saw Karl he was boarding a plane to Bolivia…with a one-way ticket?

    Oooooooo, this is getting better and better!!

  • They keep asking him, he’s just not showing up.

    Well, maybe. The news reports hint in that direction, but part of me wonders if it’s necessarily a one-way street. Is Rove trying to keep a low profile or are event organizers calling the White House asking, “Is there anybody else available?”

  • 1. Thanks for the update.

    2. I really wish the left blogosphere would stop spreading rumors about this, and just wait for the Fitzgerald report.

    Fitz has done a stellar job (quite unlike Starr) in suppressing leaks. Maybe the report will be fine, too.

  • Let’s be honest. Rove was and is more effective as a behind the scenes player. His claim to fame is the electoral success of GWB, which astounded so many people that he was propelled into the spotlight. But if he were truly charismatic, photogenenic, and publicly admirable he would be the throne, not the power behind it. It’s a mistake to put a spin-dotcor front and center.

    (PS: putting him in charge of hurricane aid was another bad idea)

  • He will be having a scheduling conflict in the future, for sure. He will be needing to devote all his time to sitting in his cell, thinking over his crimes against humanity.

  • I don’t think it’s so much that he’s a liability for candidates right now, rather it’s that he could be at any moment. No sane person running for office wants to have a recent picture with him that can be placed in an ad next to a mug shot if he does get indicted.

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