Karl Rove Not Ready to Help GOP Campaigns, But Says Republicans Are in Good Position

Monday, August 20, 2007


AP Karl Rove

WASHINGTON — White House political adviser Karl Rove said Sunday he sees encouraging signs for the GOP in the public's strong negative opinions of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democratic-run Congress.

"I do think the Republican Party is more in keeping with the attitudes and values of the American people," said President Bush's departing chief political strategist. Congress' approval in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month stood at 25 percent, compared with 35 percent for Bush.

As Democratic hopefuls held a debate in Iowa, Rove appeared on three Sunday morning talk shows and stepped up his criticism of Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady.

"She enters the general election campaign with the highest negatives of any candidate in the history of the Gallup poll," he said.

"It just says people have made an opinion about her. It's hard to change opinions once you've been a high-profile person in the public eye, as she has for 16 or 17 years."

Rove has a vested interest in the outcome of the 2008 election, after predicting he could build a long-term Republican majority, only to watch as Democrats swept Republicans from power in Congress in voting last year.

Rove disputed suggestions that his brand of politics was intended to divide. He said the White House won bipartisan support on issues ranging from education and tax cuts and the war in Iraq. But strong Democratic resentment of Bush blocked other efforts, he said.

Rove defended his political tactics, which opponents have labeled as divisive.

"The Democrats could routinely question the president's integrity," Rove said, but "when we call the Democrats for their statements and for their votes, somehow that's wrong. I don't get it."

Rove announced last week he would leave the Bush administration by the end of August, return to Texas and spend more time with his family.

Rove said the field of Republicans seeking to succeed Bush offers the GOP "an excellent chance to keep the White House."

Well we allready know this is false.

And 49% of congress are pubs, so what.

Same BS excuse... He is leaving because he does not have the backbone to stay the remaining time.

He is getting out to start aiding the Repub candidates with their strategies against your girlfriend, Hillary!! His work for the current admin is over---14 years of success, I might add---course, your camp is still fighting the FL loss thing...

That's pretty funny..

Rove said his goal was to achieve a "permanent Republican majority."

And yet his Republican majority lasted only a few years. Democrats now control the House and Senate, Bush's approval ratings are in the toilet and there's a good chance Democrats will win the White House next time around.

Doesn't sound very brilliant to me.

What Rove was "brilliant" at is turning Americans against one another and putting incompetents in power. Bush & Co response to Katrina is still a disaster.

Their big priorities social security and immigration are left undone. Iraq is a nightmare that'll be left to Democrats to clean up. Brilliant? Not so much

Majority? How's that been working out for the Dem's?

Clean up? You have got to be kidding, the Dem's aren't "cleaning" anything up.

Sooooo let see whats so great about the republicans ?
they held control over the government for 6 years. why aren't things so great like they said ? plenty of work left undone by bush and his boy's in congress. yea now the Dem's are in control but not then. where's their accomplishments for 6 years ? sorry...not impressed.

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Proud Supporter Of: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Gun carrying, Pro-choice Blue Dog Democrat and damn proud of it!

They will....It's a little hard to get anything done with an obstructionist Republican minority, and a president who threatens to veto just every bill introduced by a Democrat..

This is just classic "Rovian' tactics...Block everything the Democrats try to do, by veto and fillibuster, then call them do-nothings..

May work well in "fox" world...But people who are paying attention know better..

Obstructionist Republican Minority, that's rich, I thought Dem's won in a landslide and got a mandate for change? LOL

no....that was bush who got the 51% mandate.

__________________
Proud Supporter Of: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Gun carrying, Pro-choice Blue Dog Democrat and damn proud of it!

And he has done what he said he was going to do.