Karl Rove unveiled his new Wikicountability project today. Mr. Rove and his PAC, Crossroads GPS, describe it as an exercise in holding the Obama administration accountable for answering Freedom of Information requests. Over at Mother Jones, David Corn flags the inherent contradiction in that:
This Crossroads GPS project, though, is built upon a profound incongruity. The conservative organization is championing accountability and openness, yet it does not disclose the well-heeled funders and special interests underwriting its own efforts to shape the political system. Last year, Crossroads GPS--which Rove and Ed Gillespie, another former Bush White House aide, created following the Supreme Court's controversial Citizens United decision--spent $17 million on the 2010 elections to elect Republicans. NBC News reported that a "substantial portion of Crossroads GPS' money came from a small circle of extremely wealthy Wall Street hedge fund and private equity moguls." Crossroads GPS is the poster-nonprofit for secret campaign mega-money.
The nice thing about the Rove move is that it's so pure Karl Rove. Take the weakest thing about yourself, and brag about it as if it's a strength: George Bush is a Vietnam war hero.
Take the strongest thing about your opponent and attack him for it as if it's his Achilles heel: John Kerry was a coward in Vietnam.
And now Crossroads PAC -- which doesn't reveal its donors -- is a crusader for political transparency. Rove and company will go after "big money in politics" next, or "shadowy billionaire funders" or something -- watch.
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listed as a synonym for 'Orwellian' or maybe - sorry if it seems i'm beating a drum - projection?
Wow, that is the creepiest photograph of Karl Rove I've ever seen. And I've seen some creepy ones.
It has lots of competition!
I have tried to call that place. It has phone number, but no one ever answers. And they don't call me back. Creepy, Creepy, Creepy. Are Karl and Donna Brazille still such good friends? Always wondered how Obama, the right wing puppet and Donna And Karl fit together. Creepy, creepy, creepy.
Rovian: roh-vee-yen; adjective. See definition for Machiavellian.
Just when the hell is karma gonna get this guy?
Machievelli minus the moral rectitude and benevolence.
right; Machiavellian is just about perfect.
it's Rove, so "minus the moral rectitude," and immoral rectumtude instead. (or could it be 'amoral'?)
The PAC is nothing more than a conduit for Republican donors. Rove does not care a bit about transparency. We are going to see a lot more PACS for the next election, Republican and Dem. Our government is for sale thanks to the Supreme Court.
That man personifies all that is evil in politics. What a creep.
Rove should be happy he's not in prison and just go away.
You're right, Rachel, the group crossroads, doesn't have any license or credit to expect transparency when it hides it's own donors. This is a wild, in your face, contradiction, but this is the reality of a Republican, so with a twist of irony, this makes sense.
A Rovian A Rovian
This man will be our ru-i-n
We want no more Rovian with you damn Carl!
(Let's see if anyone reognizes which song I just filked ;-) )
As the guy who named him "Bush's Brain," and who has reported on him since the mid-70s, I can assure you he is interested in nothing but power and profit, and rules do not matter. He never sees irony or contradiction or hypocrisy in any of his own endeavors, only those of his opponents. He is once more taking over control of the Republican Party and will squeeze the Tea Party's source of funding until anyone who wants to run for office in the GOP wil have to become a supplicant of "turd blossom."
The Republicans are fulfilling their Christian roots and being hypocrites to the core!
I think Valerie Plame should get to come up with the proper adjective.
I second that.
I want to see all transcripts and all other info about the Male Prostitute that was given high security clearances over 200 times to the White House. Where was Mr Rove's "Complete Disclosure" at that time. Or where was the openness of Mr Cheney's office when he met with energy officials? I believe that Enron was represented at the meeting. Enron sunk California, and Bush administration did nothing. Oh wait yes Bush did. He sent Federal agents to persecute Marijuana labs. But that's all Bush did for California. Also the most unpatriotic thing you and Cheney did was out a CIA officer...How dare you!
Mr (I could be closeted) Rove, 1st you come clean, or you can't throw stones.
Remember Pigs Can't Change Their Feathers. And Mr. Rove just because you didn't get prosecuted doesn't mean your innocent.
It gets even Rovian-y-er when you remember that it was George W. Bush under - I mean, while employing - Karl Rove, who issued an executive order limiting the release of Presidential records under FOIA. He made sure that various military, national security and legal papers from President Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush wouldn't be released when their waiting period expired in 2001.
Who repealed that order, and reinstated the law that Presidential papers have to be released to the public after a period of time, to maintain transparency and try to make sure that administrations don't slip things under the rug (like, you know, torture and stuff)? President Obama.
Watching Rove pretzel himself with his Rovian logic would almost be fun, if it didn't make your head want to explode.
Rovian, adverb, \ro, ve,an\ English origin.
A term coined Rachel Maddow, stemming from a characterization of Karl Rove. It describes someone "who takes the weakest trait about themselves and brags about it as if it is a strength." Example: my duplicity and hypocrisy make me a great republican.
Or someone who takes the "strongest trait of their opponent and attacks him for it as if it's his Achilles heel." Example: The President's intelligence and knowledge of constitutional law, his compassion for the people, and his likeable personality is dragging this country down and we need to stop him from moving forward so we can go back to the 19th Century.
These qualities were first outlined in Joseph Heller's Catch-22 as the modus operandi of Colonel Cathcart. Generally when there is as much to gain as to lose from a course of action. Specifically the award of the rank of Capt to Yossarian for flying back over a target that had been missed in the first bombing run, and losing a plane in the process. See also the "flies in the eyes" of expert marksman and ping-pong player Appleby reported by Yossarians bunk mate Orr, who had perfected the art of getting shot down every time he flew...and who was able to utilize this skill to desert the army and flee to Scandinavia. Another expression is the hero's retirement given to Yossarian by Colonel Cathcart as part of the "odious bargain" in return for Yossarian refusing to fly any more missions. And there was the time that Yossarian received a medal of commedation as he stood naked in formation after he failed to save Snowden.
What had been a clever and dystopic plot device has become political strategy in a very real and blood chilling fashion. Likewise Cheney's deals with various enemies of America through Halliburton - reminiscent of Milo Minderbinder's deal to bomb his own squandron for the Nazis and being saved from charges of treason by the victory for Capitalism that his deals represented. If Heller had thought of it, he would have written about contracts being awarded to companies whose shower installations fatally electrocute servicemen. But I think that was too twisted and unlikely for him to come up with as a plot device. Absolutely nothing scarier or more twisted than reality.
WHAT?! OBAMA IS THE CHEATER! NOT ME! The fact that I'm driving a stolen vehicle eating stolen PEZ does NOT matter!
Rove is complicit in more than one murder!
Oddly, at the time of Carnahan's fatal air crash Karl Rove was working for the Democratic Senator's opponent, John Ashcroft. When the brilliant progressive leader of the Senate, Paul Wellstone died in what some believe to be a suspicious air crash two years after Carnahan's death, Rove was the chief political advisor to the Bush White House and the Republican National Committee.
This isn't necessarily the place to make ths comment, but I've been wondering if the public workers who are being denied the ability to form unions are not primarily women, particularly in Wisconsin where the male dominated areas - fire fighters and police are still predominantly male is mysogyny. Since teachers are still primarily women could this not be developed into female prejudice. Rachel has the staff to look at the membership. Who are most public employees - secretaries, nurses, teachers - are we taking the ability to organize away from women primarily. This could be interesting.
How about "Republicontradiction" meaning Republican statements that are inherently contradictory - just about 99% of them all.
Could there have been an administration more closed and opaque than the Bush Administration?