Novak Mourns The Loss Of Karl Rove: A ‘Happy Warrior’ Who Lost His ‘Political Joy’
Novak Mourns The Loss Of Karl Rove: A ‘Happy Warrior’ Who Lost His ‘Political Joy’
In his column today, right-wing pundit Robert Novak lays one accolade at Karl Rove’s feet after another, calling him “one of the most effective and most powerful of all presidential aides” and “one of the canniest and most successful managers in American political history.”
Novak mourns that the “happy warrior” Rove had lost his “political joy” as a result of the CIA leak investigation:
Rove had always been a happy warrior, self-confident in building a broad-based Republican majority. But his political joy was diminished by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation of him in the CIA leak case. Although Fitzgerald knew from the start that not Rove but the politically nondescript Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was my primary source in identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA employee, the prosecutor came close to indicting Rove for perjury or obstruction of justice. Rove rivaled Bush as a hate figure for left-wing politics.
Joseph Wilson did not know the identity of my source when he talked about “frog-marching” Rove into jail, setting a mindless pattern soon followed by bloggers and politicians alike. A talkative juror, after convicting Scooter Libby for perjury and obstruction of justice, expressed sorrow that it was not Karl Rove.
The desire to get Rove has outlived the Plame case, with Democratic lawmakers trying to make him the target in the firings of U.S. attorneys. Since there will be no impeachment proceedings against the president, Rove has been the best available surrogate.
Novak attempts to spin Rove’s participation in the leak scandal as the fantasies of “mindless” bloggers. For the record, Karl Rove was a confirming source for Novak’s outing of Valerie Plame. Rove also told Time’s Matt Cooper that Plame worked at the “agency on wmd,” and ended that conversation by saying “I’ve already said too much.” Immediately after Novak’s column appeared in July 2003, Rove called MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews and told him that Wilson’s wife was “fair game.”
Asked in Sept. 2003 whether he had “any knowledge” of the leak or whether he leaked the name of the CIA agent, Rove told ABC News “no.” White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, after having “spoken to Karl,” asserted that “it is a ridiculous suggestion” to say Rove was involved in the leak. In August 2004, Rove maintained, “I didn’t know her name and didn’t leak her name.”
Novak has called Rove one of his best sources inside the White House, and he has made clear that he “tries not to” ever “criticize a source” in his column. The combination of those two factors — as Novak proves today — makes for entertaining “truthiness.”
UPDATE: Marcy Wheeler has more.
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“Happy happy joy joy!”
August 14th, 2007 at 10:16 amDont whiz on the electric fence.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:18 amof COURSE, novak would heap praise on rove… they’re both cut out of exactly the same cloth… if anything, novak is jealous of rove for having had the opportunity to wield more power more ruthlessly than he has had… it’s evil tipping it’s hat to evil… as sidney blumenthal says in salon, “Rove’s saga is a rags-to-riches success story of a political serial killer…”
And, yes, I DO take it personally
August 14th, 2007 at 10:18 am“In his column today, right-wing pundit Robert Novak…”
I stopped reading about there.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:18 amAwwww. Poor lil happy warrior got a boo-boo! Just like a real soldier. Not.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:19 amOne traitor praising another, surprise, surprise, gosh o golly, who coulda predicted that!
August 14th, 2007 at 10:20 amI stopped reading about there.
More than likely because your ability to read stopped there too.
Too bad, you missed an incredibly insightful rant mixed with hysterical whining.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:20 amNovak and Rove – two traitors who hate America. Maybe they should shack up together.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:20 amThere are no longer enough kittens and puppies in Washington to feed the two of these ghouls. Rovenberry and Count Novakula.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:21 amStealing a Democratic tagline, Bob? Hubert Humphrey was known as “the happy warrior.”
August 14th, 2007 at 10:24 amPerhaps part of the political joy lost involved his boss’s dismal approval ratings. I spied a 36 the other day, and was wondering if it was abbynormal.
Here’s the last five on pollingreport.com
Polster——-dates——app–dis–duh–diff
CBS 8/8-12/07 29 65 6 -36
.
CNN/Opinion Research Corp. 8/6-8/07 36 61 3 -25
.
Newsweek 8/1-2/07 29 63 8 -34
.
NBC/Wall Street Journal
7/27-30/07 31 63 6 -32
.
Pew 7/25-29/07 29 61 10 -32
So aside from the CNN/Opinion Research Corp which still had a dis of 61, no real change, just the dismal 29% approval and a high water mark of 65 disapproval for the chymp.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:26 amRove: “one of the canniest and most successful managers in American political history.†– -
Rove’s legacy is a conservative movement largely
discredited and disunited, a president with lower consistent approval ratings than any in modern history, a generational shift to the Democrats, a resurgent al Qaeda, an endless catastrophe in Iraq, a
long hard struggle in Afghanistan, a fiscal legacy that means bankrupting America within a decade, and the poisoning of American religion with politics and vice-versa. For this, he got two terms of power – which the GOP used mainly to enrich themselves, their clients
and to expand government’s reach and and drain on the productive sector.
In the re-election, the president with a relatively strong economy, and a war in progress, managed to eke out 51 percent. Why? Because Rove preferred to divide the country and get his 51 percent, than unite it and get America’s 60. In a time of grave danger and war,
Rove picked party over country. Such a choice was and remains despicable.
Rove is one of the worst political strategists in recent times. He took a chance to realign the country and to unite it in a war – and threw it away in a binge of hate-filled niche campaigning, polarization and short-term expediency. His divisive politics and elevation of corrupt mediocrities to every branch of government has turned an entire generation off the conservative label. And rightly so.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:29 am“abbynormal.” – - You can never make too many ‘Young Frankenstein” references in regards to any subject. Carrion…
August 14th, 2007 at 10:30 amJust a thought on Rove’s departure. Perhaps he wants to get his legal team ready for the fight he will undoubtedly have involving so many potential subpoenas, additionally he needs either a clean slate or a conviction before Bush leaves office to get that Presidential Pardon that will undoubtedly be forthcoming.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:31 amNovak knows happy like Cheney know humility.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:33 amYeah, it must really suck when somebody is on to your dirty tricks and investigates you.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:36 amOne whore despairing the passing of another whore.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:36 amMore than likely because your ability to read stopped there too.
Too bad, you missed an incredibly insightful rant mixed with hysterical whining.
Yay, personal attacks. How precious.
For a site that markets to the left, we are asked to read an awful lot of tripe from the right. Pointing out what is bad and wrong isn’t enough ~ source out what’s right and good, and give us a daily dose of that.
Robert Novak is blowhard and a narcissist.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:36 amCarrion…
Comment by Badmoodman — August 14, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Are you callin me dead meat??
August 14th, 2007 at 10:38 amApparently Rove is going to miss the lovingly administered reacharounds from the soft, warm, snug hands of the Washington media elite the most of all.
-GSD
August 14th, 2007 at 10:38 amNovak and Rove – two traitors who hate America. Maybe they should shack up together.
Comment by John — August 14, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Maybe they should be hanged together.
make that definitely.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:38 amI just had a thought. Anyone else notice how glum Captain Codpiece looked at his presser last Friday before heading to Maine? Then someone brought up Gonzo and ol’ Cap. seemed to find his mojo. Could the Cap’n have been bummed out thinking about the impending loss of his BFF Karl? I think mebbe.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:39 amIt is truly creepy how close to the Nazi higher-ups are in appearance to our own little Nazi wannabes. look at that picture; is there an molecule of America in either of those two cowards? Not one.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:40 am“Are you callin me dead meat??” – - Nah, relax. Just a play on words I always use. Surprising how many people don’t recognize the difference (carry on…).
August 14th, 2007 at 10:40 amWe have to thank Bush, Cheney and Rove for destroying the GOP, though. America’s future was in jeopardy from rightwing treason until these bozos overreached and showed the USA what true traitors look and act like.
I’ll buy the rope.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:42 amRove’s departure apparently makes Novak a lame duck columnist.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:44 amTypical BS from the right wing – it’s always somebody elses fault, and the poor baby was so mistreated. these people don’t care about anything except for promting themselves and their rich buddies – and they are NOT Americans.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:44 amSo, like, what’s wrong with a little carrion now and then?
August 14th, 2007 at 10:45 am;)
“Rove’s departure apparently makes Novak
August 14th, 2007 at 10:46 ama lame _uck columnist.” – - Actually, insert your favorite consonant there.
“Rove’s departure apparently makes Novak a lame duck columnist.”
Exactly.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:47 amNovaks best source for spin and drift.
Now he has nothing.
No one is going to call him anymore.
Poor Robert.
Pointing out what is bad and wrong isn’t enough ~ source out what’s right and good, and give us a daily dose of that.
Comment by DM — August 14, 2007 @ 10:36 am
have been asking for that since the beginning…
would make a great open thread in the afternoon: THINK POSITIVE
ah well…
August 14th, 2007 at 10:50 am” sniff sniff … Although Fitzgerald knew from the start that not Rove but the politically nondescript Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was my primary source… sniff ”
wanna bet he TOLD fitz that is was armitage in order to
August 14th, 2007 at 10:55 amshield his best bud rover?
such a slug…
…
I predict Rove is just taking a little time to spend with his wife, et al. before joining the Thompson campaign……..NOW the games can REALLY begin…….THOMPSON ‘08!!
August 14th, 2007 at 10:56 amOff Topic, but
whomever here at TP, that does the research to obtain the silliest picture relating to the topic of the thread:
Sir or Ma’am, I salute you!
August 14th, 2007 at 10:57 amthompson? fat chance. His lazy as will never do what it takes to overcome KKKarl’s proven incompetence, and KKKarl is now under the mocroscope. Thompson/Rove would be a dream team even Kucinich would destroy with little effort. Only an America-hater woujld wish for Thompson, or a Republican. But, that’s redundant.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:03 amLOL! I wonder if Roberts dentist overdosed him on Novakaine, and his lips never recovered….
August 14th, 2007 at 11:04 amI think what the Vicious Venereal means is a Thompson submachine gun in 08 to kickstart the games and that is just wrong.
While I agree with her that Bush, Rove, Gonzo, Cheney deserve to be riddled like a Chicago gangster for their traitorous acts, in this day and age we act a little more civilized. Maybe just sever their hamstrings and leave them in their own puddles in the bottom of the cell.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:04 amCaption Contest:
Novak: “Look at my lips, see what kissing your ring all those years did?”
Rove: “I hope you brushed your teeth afterwards”
August 14th, 2007 at 11:07 amBush lost big here, and so did the Democrats; their lightning rod is gone!
http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/political-bombshell-karl-rove-has.html#links
August 14th, 2007 at 11:10 amshould the President’s #1 adviser be retaining his “political joy” as the disposition of a “happy warrior” in an actual time of war? should we feel bad if he comes to take on a share of the burned (which could also be characterized as a “small dose of reality.”
I don’t know why anyone should have any expectations of Novak at this point, but really… come on … this is stomach turning shrivel. it is very hard to feel anything but scorn for his self pitying lament.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:11 amCaption contest:
Rove: “I’m going to work for Thompson, I think he’s kinda cute…”
August 14th, 2007 at 11:15 amNovak: “Any chance you’ve got a position I can assume?”
Caption:
August 14th, 2007 at 11:15 am(Novak to Rove) I’ll give you five minutes to let go of that!
Comment by valiant venus
Hey look everyone! Ma’s back from rehab!
Think it’ll take this time, MA?
August 14th, 2007 at 11:16 amHas anyone ever in their life heard of someone putting in their 2 1/2 week notice and then procede to go on vacation? -just askin’
August 14th, 2007 at 11:16 amRove: “I’m going to work for Thompson, I think he’s kinda cute…â€
August 14th, 2007 at 11:27 amNovak: “Any chance you’ve got a position I can assume?â€
- – Rove and Novak make a Jeri Kehn (Fred’s wife) sandwich. Ok, enjoy your lunch, everyone!
Two pigs in a poke.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:30 amThey’d look wonderful together side by side on the gallows.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:36 amI don’t see that Rove has “lost his joy”, he has, and always will, live for politics. Now that the remaining days of the Bush administration are clearly laid out, Karl can take a break before joining another campaign, or perhaps joining / supporting the RNC.
Any sadness in Rove is merely the affects of concluding a long, glorious journey that will put Bush and him in the history books for all time. Bush will eventually be to the Middle East what Eisenhower was to Europe and Japan.
August 14th, 2007 at 11:49 amBush will eventually be to the Middle East what Attila the Hun was to Europe and Ghengis Kahn was to China.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:04 pmBush will eventually be to the Middle East what Attila the Hun was to Europe and Ghengis Kahn was to China.
Comment by RUCerious
And at the same time, undermine the US as a world power, setting America up to be overrun by its creditor nations….
August 14th, 2007 at 12:17 pmNovak is such a hypocrite! Just last week he was whining about how the WH (and KKKarl) didn’t let him into the inner sanctum any more. Now he is PudgeBoy rover’s butt-hole buddy!
2 peas in a pod!
August 14th, 2007 at 12:17 pmGOD!! In that picture above, rover looks like the molested nephew of Novak. What a gross pair they are!
August 14th, 2007 at 12:18 pmYes, Bush and Rove will be in the history books, that’s for sure. But what will the heading of the chapter say?
How to steal elections and divide a country in three easy steps?
How to pull off a massive transfer of taxpayers’ money into the coffers of war-profiteers and the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans?
How to shred the Constitution without most citizens even noticing?
How to eavesdrop and surveil whoever you want without any oversight?
Oh the possibilities, the possibilities…
August 14th, 2007 at 12:40 pmCAPTION:
‘Yes Bob, we will both enjoy Jeff’s services as soon as this silly function is over.”

August 14th, 2007 at 12:42 pmIf Ronald Reagon is considered “god” by the Republicans, does Novak’s statements make traitor Karl Rove “assistent to god”?
August 14th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Comment by ∞Ω — August 14, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
how do you do that? … i’m a mac user…
August 14th, 2007 at 1:19 pmhow do you do that? … i’m a mac user…
Comment by katy
Simultaneous ’shift’ and ‘alt/option’ while holding hit ‘k’ .
Give it a try.

August 14th, 2007 at 1:39 pmBush will eventually be to the Middle East what Eisenhower was to Europe and Japan.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — August 14, 2007 @ 11:49 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I wet myself. Back later.
Bush will eventually be to the Middle East what Hitler was to Stalingrad, what Cornwallis was to Yorktown, what Custer was to the Big Horn…..please add posters, this could be better than a caption contest.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:42 pmWhat Woodrow Wilson was to Veracruz
August 14th, 2007 at 1:53 pmWhat Pizarro was to Atahualpa
August 14th, 2007 at 1:56 pmWhat Churchhill was to Gallipoli in WW1.

August 14th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
August 14th, 2007 at 2:07 pmthank you!
:-)
∞Ω – maybe – certainly in Australia and New Zealand. But Churchill is being rehabilitated by historians in that strategically he was correct, but tactically Stopford, Hamilton and Admiral Carden screwed up. Lions led by donkeys.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:09 pmnow, those other symbols…
August 14th, 2007 at 2:10 pm“just play with it” (as my kids tell me) ?
shift/alt/option using other keys?
just curious…
On a First World War bent – Haig at the Somme (Haig anywhere, anytime), Townshend at Kut.
And an obvious one – what Johnson was to Vietnam.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:16 pmBush will eventually be to the Middle East what Eisenhower was to Europe and Japan.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — August 14, 2007 @ 11:49 am
I guess we still have a few blind BushCo’s out there, but the numbers are dwindling.
How you can say ANYTHING this NeoCon Klown Korps has done to the beneift of the US or the world, is beyond me.
But Jason, maybe you can enlighten us, OK?
August 14th, 2007 at 2:20 pmjust curious…
Comment by katy
∞ means infinity. Holding ‘alt/option’ hit ‘5′ .
Ω ‘alt/option’ hit ‘z’.
I use the  to represent ‘Alpha’ or beginning; thus, Alpha-Infinity-Omega.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:36 pmComment by TerrytheTurtle — August 14, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
Got it.
But at the time, Churchill did take the backlash.

Gotta’ run folks, see ya’ later.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:45 pmBush will eventually be to the Middle East what Eisenhower was to Europe and Japan. Comment by Jason M. Hendler — August 14, 2007 @ 11:49 am
BAHAHAHAHA, you’re a FOOL!!!
That’s right up there with your predictions of the 2006 election – and JUST AS ACCURATE!!
You’re such an idiot hendler.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:47 pmå ∫ ç ∂ ´ ƒ © ˙ ˆ ∆ ˚ ¬ µ ˜ ø π œ ® ß † ¨ √ ∑ ≈ ¥ Ω (alphabet)
¡ ™ £ ¢ ∞ § ¶ • ª º (numerals)
fun!
August 14th, 2007 at 2:56 pmboy! i’ll say:
Bottom line, no progs will make it to congress, so none of your policies will get traction. Pro-war Hill’reh and Lieberman will be major figures in the Dem party, and Dean will get booted as chair. Your movement prematurely blew its load, and now the adults will run things.
Comment by Jason+M.+Hendler — October 24, 2006 @ 11:03 am
August 14th, 2007 at 2:59 pmhttp://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/24/thinkfast-october-24-2006/#comment-1023706
.
I use the  to represent ‘Alpha’ or beginning; thus, Alpha-Infinity-Omega.
Comment by ∞Ω — August 14, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
———
You do know that the Greek letter ‘alpha’ can be written thusly:
‘A’
right?
August 14th, 2007 at 3:05 pmbut that’s not NEARly as CUTE!
August 14th, 2007 at 3:11 pm.
Looks like the Yale Panhellenic Council’s running a workshop in here…
I hear Rove had a low draft number but still managed to dodge the Infantry. That makes him a true NeoCon (aka chickenhawk). Fits right in with Five Deferments Dick and AWOL/Deserter George. Did Novak ever serve in uniform?
August 14th, 2007 at 3:23 pmKarl Rove is probably retiring to actually write his memoirs, which has the working title of: “I, Turd Blossom.”
Once “I, Turd Blossom” is on the bookshelves just before the November 2008 elections, “I, Turd Blossom” will have a scratch and sniff cover so any readers will be able to get a whiff of the real Rove.
August 14th, 2007 at 3:31 pmComment by katy — August 14, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Are you laughing at the Ivy League intellect?
August 14th, 2007 at 4:30 pm“Novak mourns that the “happy warrior†Rove had lost his “political joy—
It’s comments like that, that make me not trust this man.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:15 am