"The Same People Who Led President George W. Bush's Successful Re-Election Campaign In 2004"

So says the International Herald Tribune in describing the current crop of McCain campaign staffers who "have started an all-out offensive aimed at defining Obama as negatively as possible in the eyes of the electorate."

Noted: The irony is Shakespearean.

In any event, we remain properly in awe of the Bush/Cheney '04 "ground game". No snark.

But a campaign's "ground game" is separate from a campaign's "message".

And between 2004 and 2008 there were, among other things, a 2006 midterm election and several special elections. 

A midterm election and several special elections that were - from a messaging standpoint - an unmitigated disaster for the Republican Party. These elections were actively managed by people who played a role in Bush's '04 victory.

Adopting a Bush/Rove '04 message (windsurfer, Parisians, effeminate, fussy, arugula, Britney Spears, sissy, etc) - or even the appearance of adopting a Bush/Rove '04 message - is the kiss of death in '08's change election.

Period. End of discussion.

Team McCain should copy the Bush/Cheney '04 ground game as best they can.

But what's coming out of John McCain's mouth must be pure "American Hero With A Heaping Side Of Reformer/Optimist/Happy Warrior".

The 2008 election will be about Barack Obama. But Team McCain must provide voters with a legitimate '08 alternative (see previous paragraph) to the inexperienced, out-of-touch and arrogant Senator from Illinois.

We've never had a problem playing (in-bounds) political hardball. 

We're just saying you can't be foolish about it.

 

Andrew Sullivan Hits A Home Run

Sullivan digs up an old book about Iraq written by Bill Kristol and goes yard.

Our favorite graph:

It seems to me that we demand accountability from our politicians and we should demand accountability from our intellectuals. Not that they always get things right - but that they give a full accounting when they are wrong. Instead we reward and celebrate those who not only get things wrong - Kristol and Rove now have prominent columns in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal - but those who have never taken personal responsibility for their own mistakes. Until we purge all these tendencies from Washington, we will not learn from history and we will keep repeating it.

Can. We. Get. An. Amen?!!??

Read the whole thing.

And where, oh where, is the New York Times/Wall Street Journal's self-respect?

With some many breathtakingly talented writers out there, who "goes" with Rove and Kristol?

Uh, news organizations who ponder why they have to struggle to maintain their relevance?

Wait, what?

Carly Simon Sums Up Rove & Co.'s Line Of Attack On Obama

Rove is up with another missive in the WSJ: It's All About Obama.

Actually, we disagree. We think it's all about high gas prices, mortgage problems, health care, job security, high food prices and Iraq.

But that's just us.

Just Asking (UPDATED)...

Everyone seems to be "just asking" these days (we think Ambinder started it, but we really have no idea), so why not us?

Just asking: What the f*ck happened to the usually smart, always on and always disciplined GOP message machine?

See today's two-fer here and here.

(UPDATED) To be clear: Today's message is that the Republicans will win in November if there is a massive terrorist attack on American soil between now and the election AND if white guy voters decide they don't like the black guy hanging around their country club.

Absolutely brutal.

Karl Rove, Has-Been

Look Karl, we get it.

You're out.

You don't work at the White House anymore. The guy you backed in the Republican Primary didn't make it. The Republican Party you managed for the last 8 years is currently just a touch more popular than genital herpes. Scott McClellan's book hurt. And Team McCain is about as interested in taking your advice as they are in taking the political advice of the guy who cleans McCain's pool (does he even have a pool?).

So what does a "has-been" like you do Karl?

You bitch and moan about the people who took your place in the new pecking order using the one tool that a Washington has-been always has left - a newspaper column!

And your column in today's Wall Street Journal is a beaut Karl. Even for you.

You really bring the "tsk-tsk" to Senator Obama and Senator McCain for letting politics and a close election interfere with their economic policies.

You column is so "Senior Adviser to The President" like. So Washington Wise Man.

And such absolute total bullshit.

For 7 years Karl, you and the President cut taxes AND increased government spending. Which is politically a hell of a lot of fun in the short term. But absolutely disastrous in the medium and long term.

Just ask David Walker, a real Washington Wise Man.

When the next President takes over he will inherit about $10 trillion dollars in government debt. Debt that will ultimately end up increasing our taxes and decreasing our benefits. And a very good chunk of that debt is the direct result of your advice Mr. Rove.

So Karl, we don't think that you should be giving anyone economic advice. Let alone the next President of the United States.

We suggest that you simply shut your yap and fade away like a good little has-been.

We're just saying.

Grab A Dictionary And Play Along!

Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten have a piece up in this morning's LA Times: GOP struggles to reinvent without losing itself.

We thought it would be fun to grab our dictionary and sort out some of our favorite graphs.

Like this one:

The difficulty of a swift reinvention was on display last week as the central players in Washington's conservative community gathered for their weekly strategy session, the Wednesday Meeting, held in a conference room of Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform organization.

In our dictionary under "out-of-touch & impotent" it says "see those old white guys".

And:

While reaching out to Latinos, McCain showed last week that he is fully aware of the risks that his immigration stance poses in alienating a vocal portion of conservative Republicans.

In our dictionary under "mouth breathing, shouting-at-the-rain xenophobes" it says "see those old white guys".

And:

Republican strategists who once sought to annihilate McCain for his independence are now enthusiastically backing his candidacy, offering strategic advice and affirmation of his conservative credentials. They include Bush's former senior strategist, Karl Rove; and Norquist, the anti-tax activist.

In our dictionary under "two guys who helped bury their client with an approval rating of 28%, didn't see the '06 Democrat romp coming, think that '08 is going to be fine so long as the Republicans are steady as she goes & wake-up each and every morning desperately wishing that it was 2002 again (and then acting like it was)" it says "see those two white guys".

And:

Late last week, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh castigated McCain for his "embrace of a radical environmental agenda," calling it a sign that the Republican Party "is abandoning conservatism, abandoning those things and those people that made it victorious."

In our dictionary under "might be living in a pharmaceutical haze and is definitely forgetting that the GOP abandoned its 'conservatism' 7 (or more) years ago with his loud, obnoxious and extraordinarily over-paid and over-pampered help" it says "see that white guy".

We love the dictionary. It brings such clarity to our thinking.

Snark.

Delusional Like A Fox. With Some Of The Biggest Balls In Town.

Karl Rove has another piece up in the Wall Street Journal titled "Everyone Else Is Lying. The Last 7 Years Didn't Happen".

Wait, we're sorry, that's not what it's titled.

But it could be.

Our favorite Rove line:

The string of defeats should cure Republicans of the habit of simply shouting "liberal! liberal! liberal!" in hopes of winning an election. They need to press a reform agenda full of sharp contrasts with the Democrats.

Oh! In other words, do the opposite of what Mr. Rove has advocated for almost the last decade.

The Rover, fighting tooth and nail to get on the "You really can eat lunch in this town again" list.

Karl Rove Is Still Talking!

Rove has got another WSJ piece up.

Our favorite graph:

This will be a very difficult year for Republicans. The economy's shaky state, an unpopular war, and the natural desire for partisan change after eight years of one party in the White House have helped tilt the balance to the Democrats.

"Natural desire"? Like the current political environment is cyclical, to be expected and nobody's fault?

Oh Karl, you old bullsh*tter!

In any event, it's clear that Rove is desperately trying to join that long and not very distinguished list of people who prove that you really can eat lunch in this town again.

Rove may or may not make the list.

But it sure is fun to watch him try.

Rove To McCain: "Open Up", Clacker To Rove: "Shut-Up"

Rove. Is. Still. Talking.

But he is "The Architect"!

(of this)

The Guy Who Helped Bury His Client Under A Permanent Approval Rating In The Low 30s Is Still Out There Talking

Karl Rove & Co. helped win some big elections.

And it's not a stretch to say that Rove knew what he was doing in '00, '02 and '04.

But it's 2008.

And the '00, '02 & '04 elections are long gone. As the '06 election proved (and the current right track/wrong track numbers support).

The Republican Party that Mr. Rove ran with a political iron fist for six years is in shambles. A mess greatly exacerbated by the War In Iraq, but not caused by it. The Republican Party is disillusioned, dispirited and searching for a new way forward.

It's a Party looking to transition from the 20th century to the 21st century. If for no other reason than survival.

We don't believe that Karl Rove is a man who should play a meaningful role in that transition. Or, to put it another way, when a teenager drives the family car into the ground the parents take away his keys.

And we believe that folks should think very hard about that when they see Karl Rove & Co. on TV or in the newspaper talking about 2008 and what's "good" for the Republican Party. Or its nominee.

Karl Rove Follows In Monday Morning Clacker's Footsteps. Literally.

Last Monday, Karl Rove spoke at Choate Rosemary Hall.

After a lot of (fairly silly) drama.

The Hartford Courant was the only media outlet granted access to the speech.

Worth a quick read.

If only because Rove spoke on the very stage where this writer raised all sorts of hell during school meetings a long, long time ago.

And seeing the pictures takes us back.

Salad. Days.

“Be prepared! Find the bastards. And pile on!”

Karl Rove's motto.

But Vanity Fair hack Graydon Carter is not impressed (so why ask Rove to do the interview in the first place?).

Noted: We just got back from a two-day vacation. So we consider the February issue of Vanity Fair to still be "breaking news". Even though their March issue is already out.

Choate Rosemary Hall Students Force Karl Rove To Do Something The Democrats Never Could - Respond & Change Course

Absolutely hilarious.

From the Choate Rosemary Hall alumni office today:

Headmaster Edward Shanahan announced today that Karl Rove will be visiting the Choate campus to speak with students at a school meeting on Monday, February 11, 2008. Mr. Rove initially accepted Choate's invitation to speak at the school's commencement in June, however, he graciously adjusted his schedule based on student interest in a visit during which they might engage him in conversation about his experiences in public life.

Bill Clinton: John And Hillary Friends? No, They're VERY Good Friends!

If Karl Rove can screw around in a Democratic Primary with memos to Team Obama in the WSJ, why can't Bill Clinton screw around in a Republican Primary with comments to the NYT?

Bill Clinton is many things to many people, but one thing he is to everybody is a brilliant political strategist (even if you think his tactics are despicable).

And Bill Clinton is absolutely terrified that Johnny Mac is going to be successful in the Republican Primary.

Which is why John and Hillary are such good friends. According to Bill Clinton.

Karl Rove v. Choate Rosemary Hall

This brings back memories.

We have to give the senior class credit, they're "sorting out their differences" with Ed Shanahan on the AP wire.

The arrogance of youth.

We had (have?) it in spades.

Rove Op-Ed On Hillary, Obama

Always consider the source.

But we think that this is good.

And worth the read.

How Very "Rove" Of Rove

Karl Rove pens a Obama strategy memo for today's FT.

It's worth a read.

But don't believe everything that you read.

Rove

We cannot claim to have ever (really) met Karl Rove. Unless you count the time we almost ran him over in the MacArthur Blvd. Starbucks parking lot one Saturday morning a long time ago.

And we are quite sure that he doesn't remember us.

Which is not to say that we don't have an opinion about Mr. Rove. And his tactics. And his proteges. And his "vision(s)".

Pages and pages and PAGES of opinions. But how boring.

Especially when, in our humble opinion, everything you need to know about Rove can be summed up in three sentences.

And, fitting neatly into our world view, the insightful three sentences come compliments of John Weaver.

Via a Adam Nagourney article:

"He gets more credit and more blame than he deserves. At the end of the day, he was the head coach of the political team that won the equivalent of the Super Bowl two times is a row. But other things he did are more subjective: the kind of campaigns that were run and their impact on governing."

Everything else is for the historians. Finally.

NH State Senator Bob Odell & Karl Rove's Long Lost Link?

Let's go to the tape.

Of a 1972 Dan Rather report on Nixon's re-election campaign.

At 2:50ish (by the YouTube timer) a Bob Odell pops up.

At 1:40ish (by the YouTube timer) a Karl Rove pops up.

Very interesting.