EDITORIAL: The Rove legacy - Opinion

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Aug. 14, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: The Rove legacy

"Bush's brain out," was the instant headline on CNN, doubtless leading to a few double-takes among those old enough to remember the classic Orson Welles radio show "Donovan's Brain," or that hoaky episode of "Star Trek" in which aliens hijack Mr. Spock's cerebrum to replace their aging computer core.

In fact, it merely meant Karl Rove, the "dear friend" who has been with President Bush since his first (unsuccessful) run for Congress in 1978, had announced his resignation Monday.

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"It was a major loss for Bush as he heads into the twilight of his presidency," summarized AP White House Correspondent Terence Hunt.

Indeed, Mr. Rove's reputation as the political mastermind who engineered both of Mr. Bush's presidential campaign victories may be well-deserved. But he was less successful in promoting the president's major policy goals, including privately-owned Social Security accounts.

It's not clear anyone could have done that, at present. But in fact, Mr. Rove had already been forced to relinquish his role as chief policy coordinator last year. It might be more accurate to point out what a loss Mr. Rove will be to partisan Democrats and their odd, manufactured cosmology.

Current Democratic demonology, after all -- reinforced through endless repetition -- holds that George W. Bush, a grinning idiot, is little more than a trained chimp playing "front man" for the real evil geniuses of this administration -- Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney.

It was really Mr. Rove and Mr. Cheney who were the targets of the recent political witch hunt to determine who "leaked" the fact that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA -- an action that turned out not to be a crime, at all.

Still, the raucous drum-beating sufficed to get former Cheney aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby convicted of remembering discussions about Ms. Plame differently from other witnesses, leading to a commutation of sentence by President Bush, which Democrats then decried as more evidence of "the most corrupt administration in history" -- an easy sell to those too young to remember Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Is this the "twilight" of George W. Bush's presidency? Will he now have trouble finding the bathroom without Mr. Rove's guidance? Should Americans embrace Democratic wishful thinking about his purported helplessness?

Maybe not. During the final 18-month "twilight" of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, American armies conquered France, the Philippines and most of Germany.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Ralph Emerson wrote on August 15, 2007 01:16 AM: The editorial claims that Libby was "convicted of remembering discussions about Ms. Plame differently from other witnesses." So the RJ teaches us that treasonous lies are just a new kind of patriotic truth. More moral lessons from the sick Bush-world we live in. Hope the young kids out there are reading and learning. Dino wrote on August 14, 2007 03:30 PM: The Rove Legacy... what a joke! When the threat of retaliation from Rove and his gang of thugs is past... history will clearly show that Rove's true legacy is one of dirty tricks, Orwellian manipulation of the media and the commission of crimes against the Constitution. The list is much longer, but there's not enough time to run 'em all down. Dean Vincent wrote on August 14, 2007 03:24 PM: Dear Editor: I think Karl Roves' departure from the White House isn't simply... a case of another rat deserting a sinking ship... it's more likely a part of a strategy that includes voluntary exile to avoid investigation and (hopefully) prosecution? This man has been the major architect of the assault on the Constitution and the dismembering of the Democracy... all to circumvent responsibility for his and Bush and Cheney's criminal acts. If the law or a regulation would make their actions a criminal offense... remove the law. That's the Rove/Cheney/Bush m.o. We have to start developing cases to make these arrogant criminals (and there's no other name for them) pay for their actions. Their crimes and the terrible results and effects of those crimes, demand it. I hope you would agree. Thank you. Dean Vincent Ina Carlisle wrote on August 14, 2007 01:30 PM: With editorals like this on Rove sure know which party this Editor supports with all his closed heart and mind thewonders64 wrote on August 14, 2007 12:19 PM: Just so I have it straight: When the Democrats are critical of the Bush administration, it's "demonology." When the GOP bashes everything Clinton, it's "reporting." Thanks for clearing that up. RRJ wrote on August 14, 2007 12:02 PM: I must say if Cheney and Rove were so good behind the scenes, why does Bush still come off as so unintelligent. Ralph Emerson wrote on August 14, 2007 10:33 AM: Lewis "Scooter" Libby was "convicted of remembering discussions about Ms. Plame differently from other witnesses." When Americans were a powerful and admired people things like this used to be called lies. Now major city newspapers write sentences like this without shame. Randy wrote on August 14, 2007 10:25 AM: Rove & Cheney have to be the puppeteers, Georgie isn't smart enough to be president by himself. say what wrote on August 14, 2007 10:15 AM: we can only hope that mabey cheney will resign too... Vince wrote on August 14, 2007 08:47 AM: First of all... it's not just the Democrats who think Karl Rove is a devil... plenty of Republicans in Congress feel the same way. Keep in mind, folks... this man is the primary architect of the dismantling of the Constitution and the dismembering of the Democracy... all to hamper, even prevent investigations into their blatant violations of the law. They have muddied the separations of the three branches of the government... thumbed their noses at Congress and have absolutely destroyed our standing around the world by deciding to ignore the rules of the Geneva Convention that has served to protect prisoners of war for years... most notably, American prisoners in earlier wars. Karl Rove is a criminal as is Dick Cheney and George Bush. Keep in mind folks... these guys sent our kids into Iraq knowing full well that there were no WMD and that Saddam Hussein was no threat to us in any way. That's murder... (depraved indifference fits here, I believe). This war has killed nearly 4000 of our young men and women and more Iraqis than Saddam himself, killed. These people are about money, pure and simple. Please don't treat this devil as a hero... he's a snake and a demon. Thank you. Vince Read All Comments