New York Times: Bush Stays Mum on Rove, Who Stays by His Side

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/politics/16rove.html?hp

By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: July 16, 2005

DALLAS, N.C., July 15 - For the second day in a row, Karl Rove was at President Bush's side in a highly public appearance on Friday, a signal that Mr. Bush continues to support him as the political pressure mounts over Mr. Rove's role in discussing an undercover C.I.A. officer with reporters.
(on edit: removed extraneous text)

Mr. Bush made no public statements about Mr. Rove, and during a trip to North Carolina ignored questions from reporters about whether he still had faith in the political strategist he has called the "architect" of his 2004 re-election. At one point the president answered a question about Mr. Rove with nothing more than a quick brush-off of his hand toward the reporter.

Mr. Rove appeared considerably merrier than Mr. Bush on the North Carolina trip, where he made a show of his trademark pranks. During a tour of a cotton yarn plant, Mr. Rove tapped a reporter on the shoulder and then handed him a bottle of Tylenol, apparently pulled out of an open pocket in the reporter's backpack. Then Mr. Rove said that the reporter looked like he could use the painkiller.

On the tarmac in North Carolina, while Mr. Bush, in his shirt-sleeves, signed autographs, Mr. Rove held up the president's suit jacket in a circle of reporters, as if to say that he was no more than a coat holder. But Mr. Rove refused to answer any questions and quickly trundled toward the waiting Air Force One.

<snip>

[Straight Shooter]

1. "trademark pranks"?

Pics of Rove smiling are recent in the news, now he's a prankster?

Yep, they're remaking him into an image of just a fun guy who would never commit treason, much less compromise the tracking of WMD.

I'm sure Fitzgerald will be impressed with the new, improved Rove. Not. :eyes:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

2. Notice how CUTE and BENIGN the NYT makes Rove look. He can't

possibly be a Traitor, can he????

:sarcasm:

[barbaraann]

3. If Rove ever spilled the beans, the GOP would do down forever.

So Bush has to show all of his co-conspirators Rove is faithfully on board.