Associated Press
Karl Rove's attack operation, American Crossroads, probably expected some pushback when it launched the Conservative Victory Project, intended to help discourage the Republican Party's right wing from nominating unelectable loons who lose general-election races. But I suspect the reaction from the far-right is far more intense than anything Rove's team imagined.
Yesterday, for example, Crossroads spokesperson Jonathan Collegio appeared on DC-area radio show and described L. Brent Bozell, a prominent far-right activist, as a "hater."
Now, for folks below a certain age, "hater" refers to those who are frequently negative. It appears that's not quite how Bozell and his allies took it.
A group of conservative leaders has signed an irate letter demanding that a Republican political consultant be fired for calling the relatively undistinguished scion of a prominent political family a "hater."
Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for the Karl Rove-affiliated political action committee American Crossroads, used the epithet when discussing L. Brent Bozell, the nephew of former Sen. James Buckley and deceased National Review founder William F. Buckley, during an appearance on a local radio show Wednesday.
The letter, which is being circulated by the Washington, D.C. based public relations shop Shirley & Banister, calls Bozell "a beloved and critically important player in American history."
The letter adds that an apology from Collegio would be deemed "not acceptable." Among the signatories are Mark Levin, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlafly, the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins, Rick Scarborough, Frank Gaffney, and Ginni Thomas (yes, that Ginni Thomas).
I should note that describing Bozell as "a beloved and critically important player in American history" is deeply silly, and I have a strong hunch that the conservatives who signed the letter know exactly what Collegio meant by the comment -- it was not accusing Bozell of being a hateful bigot. But this is actually a proxy fight.
The right is livid over Rove's group creating the Conservative Victory Project, and they're looking for opportunities to put Crossroads on the defensive. Indeed, the activists' letter is unsubtle on this point, concluding, "You obviously mean to have a war with conservatives and the Tea Party. Let it start here."
Based on everything we've seen this week, the fight is going to get worse before it gets better.
The strategist Karl Rove and his allies are under withering criticism for creating the Conservative Victory Project, their effort to help rebuild the Republican Party and win control of the Senate. Their pledge to take sides in primary races in an effort to pick candidates they see as more electable has set off a fierce backlash from conservative activists.
"This is not Tea Party versus establishment," Mr. Rove said, defending his new project on Fox News. "I don't want a fight."
Yet a fight has broken out this week across the conservative media spectrum, with Mr. Rove drawing the ire of Tea Party leaders and commentators who suggest that he and other party strategists are the problem, rather than the solution, to the challenges facing Republicans.
David Bossie, president of the conservative group Citizens United, declared yesterday, "The Civil War Has Begun." FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe added, "This is a little bit like gang warfare right now."
For its part, Rove's operation has begun reassuring rich donors that the Crossroads operation will protect contributors' anonymity. In 2012, Crossroads said it wanted to keep donors' names secret so they wouldn't face reprisals from the left. In 2013, it would appear secrecy is needed to protect Rove's rich friends from the right.
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Funny... the reaction of demanding that he be fired is pretty much exactly what a "hater" would do.
As always - haters gonna hate.
The far right is merely pursuing the Hastert rule applied to GOP governance. They believe that a majority of Americans are center right. These nuts constitute a majority of that hypothetical majority. Rove's proposition is that a minority of the party should control the party due to funding from party elites. But the populist rabble has taken over the party, and the Kochs have no one to blame but themselves because they lit the populist match with the Freedomworks astroturfing project.
"You obviously mean to have a war with conservatives and the Tea Party. Let it start here."
Thes "conservatives" are not conservatives. They are Kochites. They live by the Americans for Prosperity agenda. Lower taxes on the job creators, get rid of regulations, etc. These "conservatives" do not want to protect the environment, they want to frack it and cut down the forests and pollute the waterways. The TEA Party is just the opposite of the original Tea party. The origina tea partyl wanted "No taxation without representation." This T.E.A. Party wants "Representation without taxation."
The fight with Rove's group is like a college spring football team. Both squads are part of the same team. Besides, Rove and the Kochs are best of friends.
Bozo Bozell is a hater. The Republicans who speak the truth have a shorter life span than fruit flys...
L. Brent Bozo III is a hateful bigot, and the son of a bigot so hateful and crazy (L. Brent Bozo Jr.) hat William F. Buckley Jr. threw him off the National Review 50 years ago. Bozo-3 is definitely crazy - if you've ever seen him, spittle flying as he shrieks at some "enemy" and starts throwing things.
And "birds of a feather do flock together." Every one of those crazy nut cases, Phyllis "None Dare Call It Reason" Schlafly, Mark Levin who takes his cues from Josef Goebbels, Richard Vigurie - creator of the new American far right, Tony "I bought David Duke's mailing list for my Christmas cards" Perkins, Frank "The Moooslims are comin' to get'cha!" Gaffney, Rick Scarborough who believes "The Flintsones" was a documentary, and the Supreme Court wife who violates all the rules.
They really are the American Fascist Party. Poor Karl Rove, finally discovering who the gargoyles and creatures of the night really are, it couldn't happen to a more deserving little piece of something I scrape off my shoe.
I suspect both sides have hired some of the writers from the daytime soap "All my Children."
I disagree DAY! Those writers have been affiliated with "General Hospital" - where the story boards are less forgiving for those who don't fit in! -Kevo
*Popcorn*
MORE Popcorn!!
Got a big batch a-poppin...
Gee, I've got the popcorn ready as we watch these clowns implode...I knew it would only be a matter of time. This is what happens when you court crazy & deranged, the GOP courted these tea-baggers and realized just way too late that they can't control them so now they're trying to out-maneuver them - good luck with that.......
LMAO!!!
If you look at the list, those are the conspirators who go back to 1958 with Goldwater - Vigurie and Schlafly are pretty much the creators of the far far right. Even Buckley used to say they were crazy.
LOL
this should be good, no matter what comes from this there will be some great stuff for 2014/16.
Poor Karl, hoist with his own petard...
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Now when he looks in the mirror, he no doubt sees the ghosts of rabid Tea Partyers right behind him ready to kick his arss! -Kevo
Nah, I can think of a lot of guys nicer than Karl Rove;)
Hehe, you got me, Joseph!
OH the IRONY!!! The haters calling out the haters. Frank Gaffney AND Mark Levin! Loving THIS!
In the immortal words of Rodney Dangerfield from Caddyshack: 'This is why tigers eat their young.'
"... begun reassuring rich donors that the Crossroads operation will protect contributors' anonymity."
And there it is, folks! This is about scrambling for those dollars as the rich donors close their checkbooks as any candidate with an (R) following her/is name becomes a riskier and riskier investment.
Risky investments are certainly more important in investing in the future of their own country by paying more taxes...these rich, always so suave.
prior to the events of the last day, I've been noting more often than not That the Am Free Project and particularly BB look to be more and more destructive of the place I think the party should be going. Can't understand how Mark L. got on the wrong side.
Rovey has a great track record of success after the last fiasco. It's like watching a billionaire's game show: Minute to Piss It
Turf wars, turd wars, whatever. They all stink.
I'm not a big fan of popcorn, but I have some really kick-ass salsa if someone will bring the chips.
Let the games begin!
Perhaps a game of hunger?
And the GOP thought their competition comes from the Democratic Party. This is so funny!
No, they've known for several years that the real competition is from their own Party. Pretty much since DeMint called an end to Reagan's "we're all bozos on this bus" togetherness (AKA Ronnie's Eleventh Commandment) it's been open season and anyone in office has to keep an eye on his four [1].
[1] In other contexts, it's "check six." But that's for situations when you're most vulnerable from behind.
You know the times are weird when Karl Rove is the Repugnantan campaigning AGAINST crazy people.
They should just call it the Frankenparty now (no relation to Al Franken). It's just a bunch of pieces parts that don't fit together any more. And now it's out to kill it's master(s).
Karl Rove creating an anti Tea Party organization to fortify the moron party from its fringe-y hater base?
Priceless!
Dear Karl,
You can't remove the tea from the tea-tard! Best Wishes!
that picture makes it look like rove is trying to drop another turd blossom to shine.
or at least drop a turd in someones tea.
Republicans fighting and hating each other...Priceless!!!
The relationship the GOP has to the TP is that of a preacher to a prostitute. "You were used, now go away and don't bother me.
Hey MR ROVE...you bought this bed, you covered it with pretty sheets and comforters and pillows for years...NOW you MUST LIE in IT!!! See? You've create something quite special!
Let me get this straight, Everyone was ready to ride the wave of ignorance and imbecility to a majority in the House but tragically the wave crashed just short of the beach in presidential terms so Operation: Rebottle Ugly Genie is born. What fun it must be hanging up there on that particularly epic petard
In particularly apt terms Karl Rove reenacted the titans of Wall Street destroying the US economy with garbage financial instruments with his little politician erector set. He sold dodgy candidates with nanosecond shelf lives to crassly ignorant investors at gold plated prices. The fact that he still has a name that isn't spoken with a chortle in his favored circles mirrors the impunity with which the financial sector still conducts itself. Even his attempts to revive republican relevance are being vehemently opposed by the republican base much as the President's attempts to revive the economy are. Here's to hoping he is exponentially less talented at achieving his desired ambitions than the President is.
If the US Justice Department had not been subverted Karl Rove would be in jail for the outing of Valerie Plame along with being complicit in the lies and innuendo that convinced Congress the United States would still be in a constant state of war 11 years later!
Rove is not a conservative - he is a RINO. He gave up any conservative principles a long time ago - if he ever had them.