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Go Home Requiem For A Turd Blossom

THE PLANK AUGUST 13, 2007

Requiem For A Turd Blossom

BY TNR STAFF AND TNR STAFF

Karl Rove tells the WSJ's Paul Gigot that he's leaving the White House on August 31. He also predicts that the "fatally flawed" Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee, and that President Bush's approval ratings might just hit 40 percent.

--Jason Zengerle

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22 comments

Does that leave him more exposed to legal challanges, subpeonas etc? Does he get any immunity benefit from being in the administration? His spin about Bush going from 30 to 40 is like the email I got this morning from a Waterford fan after they got a hiding yesterday. The exact same delusional logic - I mean Bush is in the 20's not 30's for a start. Isn't he? And the attack on Clinton shows they're increasingly nervous about her.

- The Ignorant Populist

August 13, 2007 at 6:56am

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I suspect that claims of executive privilege will still hold with respect to his actions while serving in the White House. But he and Bush probably will have to censor themselves during those extra special Sunday morning phone calls about "politics" from now on. Can you imagine what kind of book this guy is going to write? A tale of the Great Man on Horseback beseiged by sissified and hysterical Democrats during his time in power but destined to be redeemed by generations of grateful future Americans (and forty percent of the present one). Maybe O'Reilly will provide a dust-jacket blurb. Is it too much to ask that this guy "just fade away"? Probably so.

- Todd

August 13, 2007 at 7:12am

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. . . Rove "wouldn't be going if he wasn't sure this is the right time to be giving more time to his family." Alibi #2: "My comments were taken out of context"

- dubyadoubte

August 13, 2007 at 7:58am

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To a large extent Rove is side-show Bob, isn't he? The Democratic congress has the lowest approval ratings since records began. They've voted for the surge; they've voted for the military budget; they've voted for warrantless wiretapping. You have China threatening to sell Dollars if there are any US actions designed to make the Yuan appreciate. Global liquidity is in the toilet (although a lot of the bad news is being generated by the pro's to create buying opportunities) and Jewish settlements are still being built. (sorry that last one squeezed in) Who cares about Rove. He's a sideshow.

- The Ignorant Populist

August 13, 2007 at 7:59am

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If the Dems are foolish enough to nominate HRC, the GOP has a great shot at keeping the White House.

- armadorsky

August 13, 2007 at 8:10am

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A lot of people are going to miss you, Karl. But not me; I've really been working on my aim.

- ratnerstar

August 13, 2007 at 8:12am

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Amardorsky. Indeed, HRC would have a hard time convincing me to even come out and vote, which would make this the first election, Presidential or midterm, I've missed since I turned 18. She'd have to pick a real homerun of a VP for me to consider it. An Obama or Edwards ticket, however, I'd come out for and maybe even volunteer for.

- mopper8

August 13, 2007 at 9:06am

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Karl Rove, like the entire administration, is very good at winning election campaigns, but terrible at policy and governing. The three policies that are most closely identified with Karl Rove: 1] Iraq; 2] Social Security privatization; 3] Immigration reform. Sensing a pattern? The guy is terrible at policy so why have him around if you have no more elections to run and your own party in Congress hates his guts?

- Fairfax

August 13, 2007 at 9:16am

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reminds me of the one funny Al Franken joke I've heard in the last coupel of years. He said he was running for senate so that he could spend less time with his family.

- miceelf

August 13, 2007 at 9:20am

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They always use that excuse. Especially good for the ones who are leaving office because they've been involved in some sex scandal. Agree completely with Fairfax + IgnorantPopulist. Turd Blossom has been superfluous since November 2006.

- dubyadoubte

August 13, 2007 at 9:26am

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I just read Joshua Green's dismantling of the Rove mystique in the Atlantic last night...great article...call it a primer on hubris combined with solipsism, geekiness, and autodidactism...

- MrCookie1

August 13, 2007 at 9:30am

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Very enjoyable to see a takedown of that bastard.

- cleavet

August 13, 2007 at 9:59am

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I love the fact he wants to spend more time with his family. His only son is 17, not too sure he wants dad hanging around all day. Not too sure where the Marshmallow man will go next, but he is only 56!, he might glom onto the Republican nominee in hopes of restoring his luster.

- blackton

August 13, 2007 at 10:22am

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Don't let the Consitution hit your ass on the way out...

- literatehobo

August 13, 2007 at 10:26am

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I think it is terrible for Democrats that Rove is leaving. Consider this: Rove has been the political mastermind behind the most unpopular Presidency since polls have been taken. Why would we want that guy to go? Everything he touches turns to shit. In fact, Rove isn't even responsible for Bush's electoral successes. 1994, when Bush was first elected Governor of Texan, was a miserable year for Democrats. Bush didn't really have an opponent in 1998. In 2000 Gore didn't know how to handle Clinton, but Gore would have won if a few old people could have figured out a butterfly ballot. As for 2004, if the Kerry campaign had had as much backbone as a slug Kerry could have won despite the-never-forget-9/11, wrap-Bush-up-in-military-members, endless-terror-warnings campaign designed by Rove. The guy is overrated. I think this is a bad thing.

- adamvaught

August 13, 2007 at 10:45am

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Now that's ambitious, about what you would expect for a college drop-out that personally engineered the end of the "Republican Revolution." Rove is the Jimmy Carter of political consultants. Thank him as he goes off to feed at the Washington trough.

- mpatrickhendri

August 13, 2007 at 11:39am

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What a great day for America, the Republic has finally thrown off a giant lodestone weighing around our necks which has been dragging us down for far too long.

And there was great rejoicing throughout the land. Yay!!!! :-)

What shall George W. Bush do without his brain? Undoubtedly he will have a great deal of difficulty tying his shoes in the morning, and will require a team of nurses to help him eat his soup.

I imagine Dubya will be transferred to the nearest DC assisted-living facility, where they will keep him alive Terri Schiavo-like, connected to feeding tubes and a dribble cup.

Dick Cheney will take over as president, and we can get on with impeachment proceedings, and look forward to his subsequent trial for treason and crimes against humanity.

DOWN THE EMPIRE!!!

UP THE REPUBLIC!!!

- AaronBBrown

August 13, 2007 at 11:40am

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I have been dying to ask you this question: I know an Aaron Brown who is a School Board member in Northern CA. Are you that Aaron Brown? If so, I was principal of Lu Sutton ES for 5 years. You might remember me...

- MrCookie1

August 13, 2007 at 12:11pm

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But the MSM kept up this myth that Rove was this great strategist and thinker and evil force - Machiavelli and Svengali rolled into one. Ties with the Supernatural. In the runup to the midterm elections, WaPo did a piece on his brilliance. The core of his strategy? Energize and mobilize the social conservative base! Such Genius! A lesser mortal trying to secure a GOP win would have mobilized the Leninist-Trotskyite base.

- dubyadoubte

August 13, 2007 at 12:21pm

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"But the MSM kept up this myth that Rove was this great strategist and thinker and evil force - Machiavelli and Svengali rolled into one. Ties with the Supernatural." Pshaw. Everyone knows he wasn't infallible. After all, the guy had three chances to kill Harry Potter and failed every time.

- ratnerstar

August 13, 2007 at 12:27pm

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you are also forgetting his stint as the Staypuft marshmellow man on the Ghostbusters.

- blackton

August 13, 2007 at 1:19pm

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I always thought he looked like the Ned Beaty character more-or-less saved from Redneck Hell by Burt Reynolds.

- Robert Powell

August 14, 2007 at 7:04pm

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