Rove Goes Roving

Karl Rove, known as “Bush’s Brain”, “The Architect” and my favorite, “Turd Blossom”, is going to be leaving the Bush Administration in the next couple weeks. The reasons for his exit have been the subject of much speculation, in which I now join.

Rove is one of those intelligent nerds from a semi-privileged background who follow an all-white life path, without any blue collar life experience, reacting against the politics of other white people who actually care about all people and want to see government work for everybody, not just for the white, privileged rich. The place of natural fit for these reactionaries is the right wing of the Republican party and the associated ultra-conservative think tanks. PBS did an excellent Frontline show, which is viewable on line, covering Rove’s background and history of activities.

Rove rose to prominence by developing his skill at campaign dirty tricks and at misdirecting attention from the true issues and keeping opponents from discussing them. After riding into the White House with George Bush, Rove became a major center of attention, in spite of his preference for secrecy. By the 2006 election, the majority of the public was on to Rove, and after Democrats took control of Congress, the investigatory heat was turned on high.

Rove is leaving because of the heat and because of his failure to deliver in 2006, but in spite of the fact no Republicans have embraced him since his exit announcement, he will remain active in politics. Obviously he will write one or more garbage books and he will deliver loads of hogwash speeches to organizations stupid enough to pay his fee. But his immediate mission will most likely be to lead a major attack on Hillary Clinton, especially once she becomes the Presidential nominee of the Democrats as Rove expects. Rove will be funded, not by the Republican nominee or even by the Republican party, but by soft reactionary front money, such as was used in the Swift Boat ads against Kerry. Putting one of his cronies in the US attorney chair in Little Rock was part of the Rove strategy against Hillary, to start investigative spectacles designed to discourage voters from electing another Clinton and putting America through another Starr like inquisition.

Though Rove is returning to private life, his activities, past and future, will actually become more public. As Democrats gain the White House and as those who embraced Rove are further removed from power, more people will talk about the Rove secrets, more evidence will be discovered about the travesties of Rove and the Bush administration, and more people who barely tolerated Rove will turn against him. Hopefully he will be hounded, harassed, investigated and embroiled in litigation for the rest of his life. He deserves nothing better.