What Rove Wrought

post from TalkLeft on 13 August 2007 01:57:00 PM. © TalkLeft

Instant analysis: It doesn't really matter. History will judge Rove a colossal failure, a man who never understood how to govern and, for all his immense knowledge of polls and politics, never really understood the times he lived in. It was 9/11 that both made and broke the Bush presidency, not some kind of mystical McKinley-esque realignment. Rove was blind to that, and blind to the way Bush should have governed after 9/11. His one-track mind, in which every problem is solved by wielding the biggest, nastiest partisan club you can lift, just couldn't adapt. . . .

(Emphasis supplied.) What was Karl Rove's job? It was to win elections and expand Republican control. Until 2006, Karl Rove was spectacularly successful, especially considering the weak government he was working with. Karl Rove did not decide to invade Iraq, but he used Iraq in 2002 to further Republican control. That was his job. It was a job that should not have4 existed. But Republicans believed that using national security issues to expand political control is fine.

Iraq has led to the downfall of Bush and the Republicans. Rove did not decide that. More.

Where did Rove go wrong in his job? In my opinion, on two issues. Social Security and immigration.

On Social Security, Rove tried to destroy one of the few remaining strengths for Democrats. He counted on the Dems to roll over. It was not a bad bet. In early 2005, there were many noises made by the Lieberman/DLC wing of the Democratic Party and the Broder Wing of the Media about how "something" had to be done about Social Security. Indeed, the issue itself was not a disaster for Rove and the Republicans except in this sense - it demonstrated to Democrats that the way to regain their political fortunes was to be Fighting Dems. It was the first step towards the Democratic Party's rejection of DLC triangulation and towards fighting back on Iraq. Which led to the big Democratic win in 2006.

On immigration, Rove still dreamed of Republican realignment by winning over Latinos. Remember this was his most notable success for Bush in Texas. And in reality, Rove understands that Republicans can not form governing majorities long term with te current makeup of its coalition. The demographics are such that the GOP will need to graft on at least some type of additional coalition partner.

But Rove misunderstood the President's weakness. Whereas he could force through the prescription drug bill, on something not national security or tax cut related, Bush simply did not have the oomph to override the GOP base. Even worse, he exacerbated the GOP's growing problem with Latinos by emphasizing the nativist streak of the GOP. It was a tremendous miscalculation.

All in all, to call Karl Rove a failure is to blame him for events beyond his control. One must remember what his job was - to enhance Republican Party control. When he had a hand to work with, he did exactly that. Give the devil his due.

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NY 27: Why does FISA Coward Brian Higgins Hold
This Overwhelmingly Democratic Seat

post from Open Left - Front Page on 13 August 2007 01:48:00 PM. © Open Left - Front Page

The working conservative majority thesis implies that we must convert or defeat conservative[...]

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Censorship Then and Now

post from The Liberal Journal on 13 August 2007 01:43:00 PM. © The Liberal Journal

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Italian Gun Runners in Biz with Iraqi Ministry

post from TPMmuckraker on 13 August 2007 01:38:23 PM. © TPMmuckraker

The Iraqi government of Nouri al-Maliki takes support where it can get it. Over 160,000 U.S. troops guarantee its existence. It's cultivating an ever-closer bond with its fellow Shiites in Iran. But...

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Forcing Bush's Hand on Recess Appointments

post from MyDD on 13 August 2007 01:36:52 PM. © MyDD

As I forecasted a few days ago, posting from me has been light -- well, nonexistent -- since late last week given my relocation from Portland to Berkeley over the weekend. Now that I at least have my furniture in place, though not all my dishes and[...]

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From The Desk Of Sen. Pat Leahy

post from Firedoglake on 13 August 2007 01:31:58 PM. © Firedoglake

Sen. Leahy issued a statement today on the resignation of Karl Rove and other clouds:“Earlier this month, Karl Rove failed to comply with the Judiciary Committee’s subpoena to testify about the mass firings of United States Attorneys. Despite[...]

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Another Giuliani flip-flop

post from Crooks and Liars on 13 August 2007 01:31:45 PM. © Crooks and Liars

For all his many, many flaws, at least Rudy Giuliani has always supported civil unions for gay couples, right? Wrong.Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani continues to discard the moderate and liberal positions of his past. The latest is civil unions for same-sex couples, which the Republican presidential candidate has been backing away from in [...]

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Shocker: GOP PACs used as slush funds! Mercy me!

post from Daily Kos on 13 August 2007 01:22:21 PM. © Daily Kos

The Washington Post stumbles onto the trail of "Chavez Inc."

In the years since she was forced to pull her nomination as Bush's labor secretary after admitting payments to an illegal immigrant, Chavez and her immediate family members have used phone banks and direct-mail solicitations to raise tens of millions of dollars, founding several political action committees with bankable names: the Republican Issues Committee, the Latino Alliance, Stop Union Political Abuse and the Pro-Life Campaign Committee. Their solicitations promise direct action in the "fight to save unborn lives," a vigorous struggle against "big labor bosses" and a crippling of "liberal politics in the country."

That's not where the bulk of the money wound up being spent, however. Of the $24.5 million raised by the PACs from January 2003 to December 2006, $242,000 -- or 1 percent -- was passed on to politicians, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal election reports. The PACs spent even less -- $151,236 -- on independent political activity, such as mailing pamphlets.

Instead, most of the donations were channeled back into new fundraising efforts, and some were used to provide a modest but steady source of income for Chavez and four family members, who served as treasurers and consultants to the committees. Much of the remaining funds went to pay for expenses such as furniture, auto repairs and insurance, and rent for the Sterling office the groups share. Even Chavez's health insurance was paid for a time from political donations.

"I guess you could call it the family business," Chavez said in an interview.

As the Post notes, there's nothing illegal about this.

But...

"Nobody is looking at these," said Melanie Sloan of the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "It would be nice to know if other people are doing what Ms. Chavez is doing."

They are, Melanie.

In fact, what anyone who keeps digging will quickly discover is that it's an extremely popular Republican pastime. For years, it's been the way Pat Buchanan has sustained himself (and his sister Bay). And it's how Newt Gingrich (who has always lived off his own "Newt Inc." network) funds his jet-setting, speech-giving lifestyle.

The basic scam is a simple one: You start with a small mailing list, put together an urgent appeal explaining how your newly-formed PAC with the Respectable Sounding Name is "leading the fight" for/against some crap or other, and solicit donations. The money you rake in goes to pay for the production of the mailing pieces, postage, etc., and what's left over goes toward renting a better list for the next round of mailings. By the second or third pass, you're taking in enough to pay your "consultants" for the great advice he or she gave you on how to raise money with direct mail.

And if those "consultants" just happen to be you, your spouse, and each of your kids, well, so much the better for you! You're the model of entrepreneurialism and efficiency! Congratulations. Why not give yourself a raise?

Over the past five years, Chavez's family members have been directly paid $261,237 from the PACs, according to FEC reports. In 2001, the PACs paid Christopher Gersten $77,190, her son Pablo $25,344 and her son David $9,687.

Chavez and her immediate family members also earned income from executive positions they held in their nonprofit foundations, such as One Nation Indivisible and Stop Union Political Abuse. Her salary from her Center for Equal Opportunity foundation ranged from $125,000 to $136,250 between 1997 and 2003 and was $70,313 in 2004, the last year for which records are available.

Expect (not) to hear more about such networks if and when Newt throws his (necessarily enormous) hat in the ring.

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The Peculiar Geneticism of Andrew Sullivan

Why is Andrew Sullivan perpetually over-eager to assign cultural differences to genetics? It[...]

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