Karl Rove: Obama White House Has Rove-Like ‘Ethical Problems’
Karl Rove: Obama White House Has Rove-Like ‘Ethical Problems’
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed and on Fox News this morning, former Bush political adviser Karl Rove accused the Obama White House of “ethical problems” in its “hard-nosed push” to “pressure Congress to adopt the president’s budget.” “The degree of direction the White House is exerting over a lobby campaign” is “unprecedented,” claimed Rove, referring to ad campaigns by Americans United for Change and MoveOn.org.
When Fox’s Bill Hemmer asked Rove how this was different from the “contact with outside groups” he had during the Bush administration, Rove replied that “it’s fine to say the White House is focused on getting our message out to these members,” but that it’s another thing to “sit down and coordinate on ad copy.” Watch it:
To support his claim that the White House is coordinating with outside groups in an unprecedented way, Rove asserted that Obama’s deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, “is [being reported] in the newspapers as going over ad copy.” But according to a Lexis-Nexis search, no such claim has ever been reported. The Chicago Tribune did report last month that Messina “has consulted on strategy,” but a White House official told the paper that this basically consisted of talking “about the president’s priorities to groups.”
Rove participated in similar consultation with outside groups when he worked in the White House. For instance, Time reported in 2001 that Rove regularly dispatched aides to attend “conservative-coalition lunches”:
The courtship grew more intense when Bush and Rove got to the White House. Each Wednesday Rove dispatches a top administration official to attend the regular conservative-coalition lunches held at Paul Weyrich’s Free Congress Foundation. When activists call his office with a problem, Rove doesn’t pass them off to an aide. He often responds himself.
Rove was also “known to stop in at” Grover Norquist’s weekly Wednesday meetings, where the conservative coalition coordinated its efforts, often aimed at punishing wayward Republicans. In 2004, Norquist told the Washington Post that consultation with Rove made it so the Bush White House and the conservative movement were “riding parallel” to each other. When Bush pushed Social Security privatization in 2005, Rove held “regular meetings” with outside allies “to make sure everyone is singing from the same hymnal.”
Transcript:
HEMMER: Now, the man who helped run the Bush White House has an eye-opening look today at the pressure tactics behind the current budget on Capitol Hill. Karl Rove says that team Obama is talking daily to far-left political groups like MoveOn.org and Americans United for Change. Those groups then are turning around and launching attack ads against moderate Democrats, their own, and who are questioning parts of the president’s budget and perhaps are not on board entirely. Karl Rove, Fox News contributor and former senior adviser to President Bush, writes it about today in the Wall Street Journal. Good morning to you Karl, from your home state of Texas. And thank you for coming on today.ROVE: Good morning Bill, how are you?
HEMMER: I’m doing just fine. I just want to get an idea about — you’re in the White House for eight years, why is this such a big deal?
ROVE: Well, because it’s unprecedented the level of control the White House is having over this and the fact that it is aimed so early at the members of the president’s own party. I frankly think there are some ethical problems involved here with the degree of direction the White House is exerting over a lobby campaign. Remember, this involves the senior aides to the president, sitting down with Americans United for Change and MoveOn.org and coordinating their strategy and even in one incident, Jim Messina, deputy chief of staff, is in the newspapers as going over ad copy. And what they’re aimed at, Americans United for Change is running ads in 12 states, a lot of those are aimed at moderate Democrats who are skeptical of the president’s budget. And MoveOn.org is running ads in 10 states and again, mostly aimed at Democrats skeptical of the president’s spending and deficit requests.
HEMMER: Just, would you reflect on the eight years you were at the White House. Did any of this happen then? I mean, certainly, you must have had contact with outside groups. What’s the difference now?
ROVE: We were told…oh sure, sure. We were told explicitly by the White House counsels office, don’t ask them to do anything. Don’t review ad copy. It’s fine to say the White House is focused on getting our message out to these members. But to sit down and coordinate on ad copy. I mean, this started, you know, one of the things they did was they invited all the leadership of these groups, and I assume their donors, into the White House for a social event before this effort began, with the president and first lady. This was conducted by the senior adviser to the president, Valerie Jarrett, and her people. And it was to sort of say, “thanks for agreeing to do all these things we want you to do to help press forward on the president’s budget and, you know, we want to thank you and the president wants to personally thank you by inviting you to the White House.” That’s a level of direction and a specificity of action that is really — if you’re a member of Congress and you’re sitting up on Capitol Hill, and you’re a Democrat who’s skeptical about this. That’s a little worrisome that your president is picking your party, his own part out, for this kind of suasion. In fact, I saw this when President Obama last week at the Democratic House Caucus meeting was quoted by the Associated Press, telling Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon who voted against the stimulus bill. When DeFazio stood up and asked a question, President Obama said to him, “don’t think we aren’t keeping score, brother,” which was a pretty pointed reference to a member of the caucus that “I know you voted against my stimulus package, I’ve remembered it and we’re keeping score.” What exactly are they going to do when they tote up the final tally?
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Can’t wait til Ed Schultz gets to comment on these appearances of Rove’s on his new show.
And, Karl, if this is bad, then how bad was it when you co-opted entire government agencies to act as campaign accessories for R’s????
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pmMr. Rove, is this an example of your tactic of making an opponent’s strength a weakness or is it an example of your tactic of projecting one’s own weakness as an opponent’s weakness? Sometimes it is difficult to keep all of your tactics neatly categorized.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pmRove’s a one trick pony; accuse the opposition of carrying out the smarmy behavior you yourself have engaged in.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pmWe whined then and now he’s whining, difference being I’d wager Messina will happily testify to whatever you throw at him.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:26 pmDid Karl Rove, in his Wall Street Journal op-ed today, really accuse Obama of, gasp, practicing politics? Really?”
– - I wonder if every time Rove prattles like this, Valerie Plame throws up in her mouth a little.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pmDoes anyone really take what KKKarl says seriously anymore, beside the 32% mouthbreathers?
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm.
Rove-connected judge recuses self from Minor case
Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Wednesday April 1, 2009
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Roveconnected_judge_recuses_self_from_Minor_0401.html
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Siegelman: Justice misconduct in my case ‘dwarfs’ Stevens’ trial
Rachel Oswald
Published: Thursday April 2, 2009
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Siegelman_Justice_misconduct_in_my_case_0402.html
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April 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 pmThis is a case of the cast iron kettle calling the stainlese steel saucepan black.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:33 pmkarl is a traitor and should be treated appropriately.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 pmOnly our msm would give karl a voice and treat him like he had a valid opinion.
I predict a future where fox has to gradually mix in provocatively dressed talking heads in order to sell their lie-a-thon.
A new nickname for Karl “Turd Blossom” Rove:
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:35 pmThe Projector
tombaker,
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pmOf course if Ed Schultz hired some lackey producer to ambush interview Rove, Bill-doh O’Liely might not call it journalism. NO?
Rove is acting like a spoiled child since Mr. Obama cleaned the Republican’s clocks last November. He seems awfully upset that this Administration, much like it’s campaign, possesses a level of organization that rivals the Republican Party of yore, has a clear message and a strategy to enact it’s agenda. They also clearly have the respect and support of an overwhelming majority of the people. The genius behind George W. Shithead comes across as quite jealous of the fact that President Obama and his Administration has been playing what is left of the Republican Party like a toy violin and is at least several steps ahead of their BS at every turn. So sorry karl, you should just be counting your blessings every day when you wake up that you are not in prison for the treasonous and constitutionally illegal acts that you and your puppet wrought on this nation…yet.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:37 pmAnd did you notice the marching orders: ‘We all need to be singing from the same hymnal’. If the right side trusted itself more, and spirits in the sky less, they just might move beyond the 14th century. They are so similar to the Taliban, it is really scary.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pmHypocrite, or, in this case Hippocrite
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 pmI see Rove conveniently forgets Tom “The Hammer” Delays tactics in congress. Intimidation and threats of not getting RNC money, it worked like a charm on the very few republicans who may have opposed a republican bill.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 pmCal Malenky Says:
“A new nickname for Karl “Turd Blossom” Rove:
The Projector”
I like it Cal, but I don’t think he’d go for it. Here in New York at least, motion picture projectionists must join the local projectionists union.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pmThis guy puts Pinnochio to shame.
I am suprised his nose doesn’t just melt off every time he opens his mouth.
And…why isn’t he in jail…if just on GP alone?
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:45 pmRove is a college drop out. The new administration is educated and competent. They do not need to rely on crime and dishonesty to get things done. The Bush Crime Family left the economy in such bad shape, we must do what the new president is doing. Go to jail turdblossom and do not collect $200.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:46 pmKarlyy, would this be related to the ‘moles’ left behind by Cheney?
Thought so.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:46 pmWhen is this assklown going to be forced to testify, under oath about his wheeling and backroom dealing under BushitCo?
Orange jumpsuit in locker #666 is waiting for him.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pmDoes Karl know how much of a fool he looks?
Jon Stewart has another target for word eating. Judd Greg chewed aplenty last night. Munch away MCRove…
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pmboy, wednesdays were quite busy, not?
Each Wednesday … lunches held at Paul Weyrich’s Free Congress Foundation. [...]
… Grover Norquist’s weekly Wednesday meetings…
and they whined about pelosi changing the work week to an actual FIVE days… which means it had been AT MOST a 2-3 day work week…
and who paid for the spread at weyrich’s WEEKLY gathering…?
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pmWho gives a damn what these people have to say? Rove, Rice, McCain and especially Cheney just need to fade silently into the abyss never to be heard from again.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm.
… “Up next, remembering the success of Jack Abramoff and the Americans for Tax Reform, Ann-Marie Lynch, Thomas A. Scully, Daniel E. Troy, Charles Lambert, Jeffrey Holmstead, J. Steven Griles, and the PNAC/AIPAC influence on the Bush Administration and it’s mission accomplished.”
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April 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pmIs this REALLY all they have? Projection that’s fooling nobody?
There’s a definite smell of desperation in the air…
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pmHA!
Karl is still getting the same old drugs that he has for the last 20 years…He really needs a new supplier.. Here’s a hint Karl – there are better drugs at the Hague just-a-waitin for you…You’ll like them…
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pmkatydid, don’t forget about karl Rove’s Ice Cream Fridays!
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pmhttp://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/13/perino-will-miss-roves-ice-cream-fridays/
I think this is hysterical. Karl Rove’s entire career and reputation was built on politicizing every level of government and now he’s criticizing the Obama administration for pushing their own agenda?
Karl has no credibility at all outside the tiny circle (one might say “tiny sphincter”) of Wingnuttery: FauxNews, WSJ, and Washington Times (and winger blogs). If he spouted this anywhere else, people would laugh in his face.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pmCal Malenky Says:
A new nickname for Karl “Turd Blossom” Rove:
The Projector
How about TeleProjector? The neocon’s teleprompter.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm.
GAO: 6 Pct. Of Lobbying Reports Are Incorrect
http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/gao-6-pct-lobbying-reports-are.php
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Is this a guy who is currently getting ready to testify before congress for the possible politicalization of the Justice Department? And BTW, based on what we saw Eric Holder do yesterday in regards to Ted Stevens, I think that makes it harder to make the case that the Obama Adminstration is playing politics with anything!
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:02 pmI still don’t understand why Rove hasn’t been charged, jailed, or at least fined for refusing to heed subpoenas. I’m sure the rest of us would be.
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 pmRUCeriousDragonfly Says:
“Orange jumpsuit in locker #666 is waiting for him.”
Hey! I hope he doesn’t mind the smoke stains…
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:29 pmIsn’t this a desperate reach criticizing President Obama?
You would think the GOP, all of them, would hide from sheer embarrassment over this stunt pulled Monday:
Republicans’ empty budget …watch video here
If the common person pulled this on the job, he/she would be fired instantly.
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:54 pmKarl Rove is the last person on earth that should utter the words “ethical problems”! What a hypocrite! Trolls, Karl Rove is proof that there are terrorist criminals walking around free right here in the USA! Just like your demagogue O’SillyO the media whore!
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pmhad enough Says:
——————————————————————————–
Isn’t this a desperate reach criticizing President Obama?
You would think the GOP, all of them, would hide from sheer embarrassment over this stunt pulled Monday:
Republicans’ empty budget …watch video here
If the common person pulled this on the job, he/she would be fired instantly.
OMG! I couldn’t agree with you more! I would die of embarrassment if I was a rethuglican!
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:02 pmWhy would any one want to hear from Rove,Cheney,Rice all soon to be convicted felons.What Rove and Bush did to Ann Richards was a crime!Robot phone calls to texas residents claiming she was a lesbian,That led to the same tactic they used on President Obama calling him the new hate word Muslim as if who he prays to means anything but they need to demonize someone and Muslims and Gays fit the bill.Torture,lies,character assassination all tools in the arsenal of Rove the only people who listen to him are on Fox News if you can call what they do news time to stop giving these people press except for their trials and subsequent jailing
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pmWe want Rove to testify under oath and in public! We want this criminal arrested! We want this traitor arrested and behind bars!
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:07 pmIf Rove had anything good to say about Obama, then I’d worry!
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:11 pmRove,Bush,Cheney,Rice, to name a few, are crooks. Why do you think Obama is releasing the prisoners from Guantonomo, we need a place to put all the future convicts from Bush`s administration.
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:25 pmHooray for Progressive Blogs! Put Rove in the eyesights and keep going after the little weenie.
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:25 pmRove, on FoxSpews: ” You can’t do what we did! That’s unethical.”
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:34 pmKarl Rove, the modern day Macchiavelli, is exclaiming that Obama is exerting pressure.
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:08 pmMy, my — the irony of it all.
If this all weren’t so serious I’d be LMAO.
This is hilarious. There goes that damn pot again, calling the kettle black.
Hey, he could have called him something worse than that, which I’m confident he does in his own privacy.
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:18 pmHahaha, on of THE faces of the GOP. A flacid, flabby, beady-eyed, compulsive liar!!! Rove is a prototypical troll.
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 pmHeh – that evil, tubby little moron has soooooooo much room to talk.
*eyeroll*
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:57 pmQ: How can you tell if Karl Rove is lying?
A: His lips are moving.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:13 pmKarl Rove is a criminal in a suit now he is pissed because Obama is using things that Kalr rove did many itme.Let put Rove in jail where he belongs nad lets move on ,nobody listens to that hasbeen anyway.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 amOK Pat obviously senile dementia has set in. Time to see the nice young men that will need to take care of you soon.burun estetigi rent a car arac kiralama
April 18th, 2009 at 6:12 amsac ekimi