by James Oliphant
Republican strategist Karl Rove was the primary guest on ABC's This Week, talking about how Republicans can keep a hold on the place where he worked for so long with President Bush.
Host George Stephanopolous repeatedly attempted to persuade Rove to discuss how the party went off the rails (in part, ostensibly, because of Rove's policy framework), bringing up as damning exhibits the recent losses in the three special elections held this year, the party's poor showing in the 2006 congressional elections, and polls showing that fewer Americans call themselves Republicans now than at any point in the past 20 years.
"What responsibility do you bear, what mistakes were made?" Stephanopolous asked.
Rove, though, showed himself to be the disciplined message-maker of his reputation, deflecting Stephanopolous' questions by focusing only on the future, on how Republicans should come up with reform agendas involving health care, trade and economic reform.
He also said that reports of the death of the party were highly exaggerated, saying the losses in 2006 were close and were mainly the result of congressional scandals involving earmarks.
(It should be noted that House minority leader John Boehner evidently read the same memo, as he turned in an almost duplicate performance last week on This Week.)
"The challenge is to put the party in a better place," Rove said.
"You're just not going to look backward, are you?" Stephanopoulous said, waving the white flag.
"Look," Rove said, "elections are about the future."
In addressing the presidential campaign, Rove said that if Barack Obama hopes to win in November, he needed to boost his bipartisan bona fides, either by working in the Senate to pass some legislation this year (not bloody likely) or bring prominent Republicans into his campaign right now (that's you, Chuck Hagel), even perhaps naming them to his prospective cabinet.
Rove and Stephanopolous also clashed over allegations that Rove pushed the federal prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. Rove was subpoened this week by the House Judiciary Committee to testify about his role, if any, in bringing bribery charges against Siegelman, a Democrat.
Stephanopolous asked Rove point blank if Rove had contacted the Justice Department about prosecuting Siegelman.
"I found out about Don Siegelman's investigation and indictment by reading about it in the newspaper," Rove said.
"But that's not a denial," Stephanopolous said.
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Comments
If Rove is going to be called a "Republican strategist", shouldn't veteran Democrat Party operative George Stephanopoulos be termed a "Democratic Party strategist"?
The above is merely a debate between a Democrat and a Republican, not an interview of a Republican by a non-partisan journalist.
Posted by: Bruce | May 25, 2008 11:48 AM
Rove is a criminal. But he gets air time. I can't wait for the perp walk!!! Obama 2008
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | May 25, 2008 11:55 AM
yes bruce, just like the non-partisan hatchet job george pulled on obama at the abc debate. you're a tool. go back to polishing your musket.
Posted by: crud | May 25, 2008 12:07 PM
Just another Clinton Casualty (go ahead - google it). Isn't it appropriate it was a CLINTON this time.
Posted by: Dhammi | May 25, 2008 12:50 PM
" Bruce ", I know you cite articles, with pleasure, when they agree with your position and that is understandable. What does surprise me about your mentioning of a " non-partisan journalist ", which, I assume you mean, objective journalism !! I have learned over the years. it is a rare beast, indeed. Journalism is a human activity, which means the writers are humans, with emotions and positions, which at best, they can tone down the passion, but they can not eliminate their bias, completely !!
I am a registered Democrat and I have trouble with Mr. Stephanopoulos, almost all of the time. I don't think he earned the credentials to a head a major network news program on Sunday , but he does and I have learned to deal with it. I used to be a regular viewer of the show, but not any more, there are too many others to choose from and I do !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | May 25, 2008 12:52 PM
Today's Sunday Morning Mashup is now up. Rove talks about the 6 challenges that McCain faces in the general election. You can see the original artwork and the audio clip here.
http://inewstube.com/smm/karl_rove_on_this_week_mccains_main_strategy_is_to_push_concrete_reform_agenda.html
Posted by: Guillermo Brown | May 25, 2008 1:08 PM
Accountability is about what's been done. The past influences the future negatively if nothing is learned from past mistakes. Rove wants to ignore the fact he was one of the principal architects of the abortive Republican revolution and he simply doesn't want to take responsibility for his multitude of failures. When the Senate sends their Sergeant at Arms to arrest him, perhaps he'll start accepting the reality that his past is catching up with him no matter how much he tried to ignore it.
Posted by: osage | May 25, 2008 1:47 PM
no matter what anyone thinks....im not a democrat. however i do believe strongly that george is really good at what he does and more importantly he digs for the truth with honesty and integrity. And i might add he does it with caution and compassion....unlike most of the slime we have in reporting in this country that just want a headline.......go for it george..
Posted by: billy | May 25, 2008 4:02 PM
Wake up wake up Rove is going to lie to the very end. Congress needs to bring about that end. The end of all the bs by this administration. Go to www.donsiegelman.com for the rest of the story.
Posted by: Harry Hippie | May 25, 2008 5:52 PM
Bruce is an attorney. The fact that he is afraid to actually defend his own position on a regular basis tells you just how poor of an attorney he is.
Posted by: Captain Obvious | May 25, 2008 9:01 PM
George S thought he could trap Karl Rove. Wrong George Karl Rove is a great American who unlike socialist/liberals isn't mad all the time.
Rove is optimistic and a rational thinker. He is much smarter than you liberal posters believe.
We are facing drowning by taxation if we elect any of these socialists much less Obama the biggest of them all. He is elitist and wants to make government into big brother all over again. Just like Adlai Stevenson and LBJ he will keep fighting for a socialist utopia paid for by taxes from all the poeple.
Forty four percent of Americans pay no taxes at all. While the top five percent pay 50 percent of the burden.
Obama will lavish more on the 44 percent while taxing the rest to the ruination of America.
Wakeup America Obama is dangerous! Jerry White, Springfiedl, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | May 26, 2008 9:30 AM
Though I have tried to bring Charles R Schwab to justice for crimed he committed, the Bush Administration has conspired to protect him from our system of justice. Karl Rove was probably in behind this effort. While both congressioal Jusdiciary Committees have requested documents, required by law, Bush has refused. Rove suddenly claimed he lost four years worth of emails. Though they say he has retired, he is most likely busy sifting through documents and emails and destroying evidence of activities such as this cover-up. My website tells the whole story.
http:www.aeolusblue.net
Wayne Pierce
Posted by: Wayne Pierce | May 26, 2008 9:45 AM
Sorry about the typing job. It was early and I hadn't had my coffee. My efforts to bring Charles Schwab to justice began in August of 2002. Though I have provided dozens of documents to support my allegations, the US government has refused to talk with me. Letters to the Bush and leaders of the US Congress go into the shredder. Many people scoff at the antics of people like Karl Rove and think what a ninny he is. This is because people are not aware of the power the Bush - Cheney White House has acquired. While they ignore the Constitution and break our laws in their efforts to help their rich friends, members of Congress, our representatives, stand by and watch. Bush and Cheney have committed enough crimes to be impeached a dozen times. But my congressman tells me this would be too disruptive. And there you have it; we don't want to impeach them because it would disrupt their ongoing corruption which many in congress are part of. We are witnessing American in decline and Americans and most Americans are obliviious.
Posted by: Wayne Pierce | May 26, 2008 10:59 AM