Newsweek's hiring of Karl Rove is an insult to our country and a kick in the butt to Alabama.

[madfloridian]

I have not seen too much comment about what an slap in the face it is to Americans who love their country and want it to be honorable again.

Nearly all of my family are Republicans. They have nothing but contempt for Karl Rove and his pettiness and hate-mongering tactics. They saw through him early on.

Putting him on as the "conservative" opposite Markos is Newsweek's way of thumbing its nose at honesty, integrity, and morality.

He is a snide and nasty little man with a very bad attitude. His reappearing on the media scene so prominently should scare the hell out of those of us who love our country.

His apparent connection to the tragic case of Don Siegelman in Alabama should be enough in and of itself to keep him out of the news and off TV....that is if we had a honest corporate media.

Rove Named in Alabama Controversy

In the rough and tumble of Alabama politics, the scramble for power is often a blood sport. At the moment, the state's former Democratic governor, Don Siegelman, stands convicted of bribery and conspiracy charges and faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Siegelman has long claimed that his prosecution was driven by politically motivated, Republican-appointed U.S. attorneys.

Now Karl Rove, the President's top political strategist, has been implicated in the controversy. A longtime Republican lawyer in Alabama swears she heard a top G.O.P. operative in the state say that Rove "had spoken with the Department of Justice" about "pursuing" Siegelman, with help from two of Alabama's U.S. attorneys.

The allegation was made by Dana Jill Simpson, a lifelong Republican and lawyer who practices in Alabama. She made the charges in a May 21 affidavit, obtained by TIME, in which she describes a conference call on November 18, 2002, which involved a group of senior aides to Bob Riley, who had just narrowly defeated Siegelman in a bitterly contested election for governor. Though Republican Riley, a former Congressman, initially found himself behind by several thousand votes, he had pulled ahead at the last minute when disputed ballots were tallied in his favor. After the abrupt vote turnaround, Siegelman sought a recount. The Simpson affidavit says the conference call focused on how the Riley campaign could get Siegelman to withdraw his challenge.

According to Simpson's statement, William Canary, a senior G.O.P. political operative and Riley adviser who was on the conference call, said "not to worry about Don Siegelman" because "'his girls' would take care of" the governor. Canary then made clear that "his girls" was a reference to his wife, Leura Canary, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, and Alice Martin, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama

That alone should be enough to keep him off the air and out of the media spotlight. But there is just so much more.

Bush's Brain Steps Down: Facing Subpoenas, Karl Rove Resigns

While Karl Rove says he is resigning in order to spend more time with his family, the move comes while he is at the center of several Congressional investigations. Last month Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy subpoenaed Rove to testify about his role in the politicization of the Justice Department and the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. So far Rove has ignored the subpoena and has refused to testify, citing executive privilege. In addition, two weeks ago Rove skipped a Congressional hearing on the allegedly improper use by White House aides of Republican National Committee email accounts. Leahy has vowed to continue the investigation. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Rove said "I'm Moby Dick and they're after me."

Rove previously escaped indictment in the CIA leak case. While then-White House spokesman Scott McClellan initially publicly denied that Rove had anything to do with the leak, the special prosecutor's investigation later determined that he had in fact divulged or confirmed undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to columnist Robert Novak and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper.

Karl Rove also appears to have played a role in Alabama in turning their Supreme Court from blue to red.

Karl Rove's ruthless tactics involving a judge's win in Alabama in 1994. Involved a recount.

All that changed in 1994. Rove brought to Alabama a formula, honed in Texas, for winning judicial races. It involved demonizing Democrats as pawns of the plaintiffs' bar and stoking populist resentment with tales of outrageous verdicts. At Rove's behest, Hooper and his fellow Republican candidates focused relentlessly on a single case involving an Alabama doctor from the richest part of the state who had sued BMW after discovering that, prior to delivery, his new car had been damaged by acid rain and repainted, diminishing its value. After a trial revealed this practice to be widespread, a jury slapped the automaker with $4 million in punitive damages. "It was the poster-child case of outrageous verdicts," says Bill Smith, a political consultant who got his start working for Rove on these and other Alabama races. "Karl figured out the vocabulary on the BMW case and others like it that point out not just liberal behavior but outrageous decisions that make you mad as hell."

Oh, there is a lot more as well....like the PBS special from several years ago called The Architect.

The Architect..transcripts and video

And don't miss the interview there at PBS with Wayne Slater, author of Bush's Brain.

Interview with Wayne Slater

It shows the moral condition of our country that Rove has been hired at Newsweek. It shows that for this to happen the media is quite willing to be complicit in the downfall of our country into a deeper climate of hate and divisiveness.

This should tell us everything about our country today, all we need to know.

[rodeodance]

1. what ever happened to the DeLay indictment??---he is a msnbc consultant now!

[madfloridian]

3. The more crooked you are the more air time you get. New Rule.

:shrug:

[tom_paine]

22. In Imperial Amerika, crime pays...ver VERY MUCH.

For the aristocracy, the Busheviks in particular.

The rest of us Filthy Little Nobodies have to follow the bullshit "rules" that do not apply to Bushie Aristocrats, just like every other totalitarian country spanning back into history when BushPtuinism was the cruder proto-form of itself, feudal monarchy.

[Magginkat]

44. The Same Thing That Happened to Joe Scarborough.....

Tom Delay is a MSNBC consultant? I didn't know that but then I don't watch that network except to watch Keith Olberman(sp?).

However this makes it appear that MSNBC is becoming the place where criminals are rewarded instead of being sent to prison for their crimes. Joe Scarborough who probably killed his assistant and did an O.J. Simpson disappearing act was kept silent about Republican shenanigans with a 'talk show' on MSNBC.

Like Scarborough old Tom DeCAY probably knows lots of republican secrets, especially about Bush, Cheney, Rove, etc.

[madfloridian]

2. More details on this from Huff Post

I See Your Markos Moulitsas, And I Raise You a...KARL ROVE?

[dmr]

9. They compare Stephanopoulos against Rove?

Stephanopoulos never had near any of the slimy excess baggage that Rove carries. Rove is so freaking dirty and sneaky. I agree with the OP, what an insult, indeed. I am one person who will not purchase or read Newsweek again. I still do not watch ABC after their viewing 'The Path To 911' more than a year ago.

[bjobotts]

39. Stephanopolis is an ambush media hit man without the criminal record of Rove who will be in jail

As soon as WH emails are released and the RNC is forced to give up their evidence(hopefully before they can destroy it) and WH cousels are forced to testify. Rove politicized the DoJ, Interfered in prosecutions and fixed elections and other investigations. The evidence is there but is being kept from congress and the American people. When it comes out this guy will be indicted and jailed.
Stephanopolis will still be out there ambushing democrats and pushing the republican agenda.

Their attitudes and opinions are virtually the same.

[sandyd921]

35. Might have considered subscribing to Newsweek before

I heard about this, but not now. I'm incredulous that they would consider any commentary from this piece of treasonous trash as having any credibility or value. This negates any points they might get for seeking a voice from the progressive netroots with Kos.

[rocktivity]

4. You know what? You're right.

Rove is totally unqualified for this position. Not only does he have no experience and shown no talent as a writer, he lacks the three things a journalist needs most: integrity, trustworthiness, and credibility. Besides, pairing a citizen journalist actual DC insider is hardly a fair and balanced matchup. We should organize and tell Newsweek to hire a real right-wing blogger or replace Kos with someone like Wes Clark. Put another way: can you imagine Newsweek hiring Daily Kos if HE had subpoenas pending?

:headbang:
rocknation

[madfloridian]

6. Exactly. It must be insulting to Markos to see this.

It is infuriating that Newsweek did this.

[Uncle Joe]

5. Rove has done his best at murdering democracy

and I will never purchase another Newsweek as they obviously don't care.

Thanks for the thread, madfloridian.

[madfloridian]

7. It is meant to anger us. That is Rove's legacy.

The tactics of humiliation and ridicule and anger.

[tom_paine]

23. Onquestionably. Like all tyrants and criminals the Busheviks have a great desire to shove

their victim's faces in shit AFTER they lay beaten, brutalized, and robbed.

[WGS]

42. WHAT!

...are you talking about?

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Missing the point here. Rove does dirty tricks. He is no writer. When he goes public

he does the GOP nothing but harm, since he is a lightning rod for liberal anger, mobilizing left wing activity like nobody's business. Rove sitting at home, nice and quiet where no one knows what he is up to is much scarier than Rove showing off his high school diploma and rehashed, recycled ideas (which he stole from Nixon and Atawater) in the pages of Newsweek. Trust me. Rove-speak is the easiest thing in the world to parse.


This is exactly analogous to the National Review hiring Jane Fonda and George Will (and insisting that Will actually write, which he can do if he wants to).

[madfloridian]

12. You underestimate his loyal fans in the right wing.

They adore him. You know the 25% who still love Bush?

[Mnemosyne]

10. That pig had to be behind the one they were pulling in the mid-90's,

get elected as a D, then switch party.

[nealmhughes]

11. Alice Matin is one of the rudest and conceited would-be socialite "attorneys" in the nation.

One of my close friends used to frequently babysit her brats. Once she and hubby (before he moved the family business from Alabama to Mexico) said they were going to Nashville for a Republican dinner and be back by 2 a.m. They were not the next day and my friend, in a panic called every number she could get ahold of, to no avail. Finally she tracked down Alice's mother who told her, "Oh, they decided to stay a few extra days." No word to my friend or her kids. My friend had a final that afternoon and told the granma not to move one inch, as the kids were on their way there. She dropped them off and took her final, then the grandmother dog cussed her and told her to whistle for her pay.

She made sure everyone in North Alabama she knew or knew of knew of Alice's maternal and nanny supervision skills.

Want to find Alice? If it is polo season, she isn't in Birmingham, that's for sure.

[madfloridian]

17. That sounds pretty bad.

I keep waiting to hear more on this issue. It's scary to think about what might have been done to Seigelman, and even worse to think that Rove has such media access again.

[Magginkat]

45. Rove's Media Access

Rove never lost his media access. His resignation is a joke. No way was that nasty vermin going to ride off into the sunset. Just because you can't see those fat grubby paws waving delicately at the TV cameras everyday doesn't mean that he is not still doing Chicken George's & Dead Eye Dick's dirty work.

The Newsweek job is probably a cover for whatever dirty tricks he is up to. Our best bet is to send him hunting with Cheney.

[ellie]

13. Thank god I don't read

that drivel or I may have to cancel my subscription. What passes for journalism these days is ridiculous. The bar has been lowered so far that any idiot can have a forum. And Karl Rove? Please. What could he possibly say that is worth anything: Bush is good. Republicans good. Democrats bad. Wow. In-depth analysis! Anything the worthless repukes have to say can be summed up in those three brief sentences. And if you don't believe me, visit Usenet and read what the knuckledraggers say. They are like parrots.

[Cha]

14. It's beyonded FUBARED!

The only thing I can figure is that newsweak is hurting on the corporatewhore bottom line and are scaping the scuzz bucket to see if anything will attract more readers?

Wouldn't it be nice if stupid, ethically challenged ideas like this Backfired, Big Time?

[madfloridian]

15. Simpson testified in Oct. Some details.

Rove ignored subpoenas to testify before Congress. He is being investigated for involvement in the Seigelman case.

Yet he gets hired by Newsweek, and gets all kinds of air time.

More from Simpson's testimony.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004426.php

'GOP Lawyer Testifies about Rove Role in Siegelman Case
By Laura McGann - October 10, 2007, 3:51PM
In an interview she gave under oath to House investigators, Republican lawyer Dana Jill Simpson expanded on her previous statement about Karl Rove's role in the prosecution of Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL), implicating Rove in using the Justice Deparment to stymie Siegelman's campaigns in 2002 and again in 2005.

In the interview, first obtained by Time and released today by the committee, Simpson explains the context in which she knew what Alabama Republican operative William Canary meant on a campaign conference call in 2002 when he said "Karl" had gotten the Justice Department on Siegelman. Simpson told House investigators that the son of Gov. Bob Riley (R), Rob Riley, had told her about the conversations between Rove and Canary. From the transcript:

"But I knew from conversations that I had had with Rob that Bill Canary was very connected to Karl Rove. Additionally, there was some talk -- and that's not in my affidavit -- about Karl had -- about Washington; that Karl had it taken care of in Washington."

"Simpson also told investigators that three years later, during Bob Riley's 2005 campaign, Rob Riley told her that Rove had intervened again, this time going directly to the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. The intervention came after the US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama "messed up" a case against Siegelman to keep him from running, Simpson told investigators. According to the interview transcript, Simpson said Rove made sure all the bases were covered to properly prosecute Siegelman"

(More at the link)

Unbelievable how this arrogant SOB still gets media time. Seems like the MSM don't care about legal problems....only when they apply to Demcrats.

:puke:

[bluerum]

16. These are the same pigs that propagated rumors about a liberal

press ever since WWII.

Now the media is OWNED in every imaginable way by right wing ideologues and corporate fascists.

[pauldg0]

43. Pork!!!!

[Kat45]

18. I didn't know that. I should cancel my subscription

and tell them why.

[madfloridian]

19. Here's the article about it.

Jon Meacham defends the decision as getting attacked from both sides.

Actually Markos has a stellar reputation....Rove is possibly going to be indicted and has been named in many scandals. Unbelievable.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/newsweek-hires-karl-rove-contributor/story.aspx?guid=%7BE809250F-0819-45B8-81BB-147B76E9BF45%7D

"Newsweek magazine has hired Karl Rove, the former White House deputy chief of staff, to contribute occasional opinion pieces to the print and online versions of the publication."

"Rove stepped down from his post in August after a controversial six-year stint as President Bush's senior political adviser. His successful campaign strategies for Bush in 2000 and 2004 have been called into question, and leading Democrats have led investigations into Rove's possible role in the firings of U.S. attorneys and whether he had an undue influence over key decisions made by the federal government, among other concerns.

Rove said he left the Bush administration to spend more time with his family and that he planned to write a book and teach.

"Whether one agrees or disagrees with Karl, there is no arguing that he has been a critical player in the political world with insights and experiences that we think will give our readers something unique," said Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham in a statement."

It just outrages me that someone like that would be given media space.

[bjobotts]

40. Next, Cunnigham, Scooter, Abramoff will follow Meachums definition

for justifying the decision to put Rove on the payroll:

"Whether one agrees or disagrees with Karl, there is no arguing that he has been a critical player in the political world with insights and experiences that we think will give our readers something unique," said Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham in a statement."

His definition is absurd justification. According to the above any criminal politician could be included as a critical player. This guy is a gutter dirty tricks prick whose insights like "dems will lose badly in '06 for being unsupportive of the troops and weak on defense" have been totally wrong. The only group he can read right is the neocon group...but then they are easy to read and predict. Rove's expertise is on how to smear and stuff ballot boxes and lie and cheat. Just the guy whose insights you'd want to read.

Meachum...you're an idiot.

[caseycoon]

20. Rove walking free is an insult to our country

along with the rest of this administration.

[SoCalDem]

21. EVERY democrat should cancel their subscription (if they have one), and

should never buy the magazine again..and they should write to the rag and tell WHY..

If they want to be identified with the righties that badly, let them BE their magazine..

I would rather magazines just scrap the whole "opinion" thing completely..right OR left:grr: at least the magazines that are not specifically identified as opinion magazines..

[kelliebrat]

25. I thought I read this wrong

:wtf:Newsweek hired Karl Rove? Seriously?? The slime ball, scum-sucking turd blossom? I just renewed my subscription for 2 years but canceled it online explaining why. I'm calling them also just to make sure they know HOW VERY WRONG and insulting I find this.:mad: What are they thinking??

[The Wizard]

24. Anyone in media management,

especially print media, who thinks lurching to the right will expand readership must be on dope. Right wingers don't or can't read. They like flashy images and dramatic music, hence Pox (deliberate typo) News success among the imbecile class. Putting Rove on the staff is just a back door, under the table method for paying Rove. If Rove isn't paid off, he's got enough dirt on the party of unclean hands to torpedo any effort to burn the Constitution on TV.

[Joe Chi Minh]

26. Maybe Newsweek will pay a heavy price in terms of its sales,

nation-wide.

[madfloridian]

27. Rove to speak at Duke in Dec....read the words of the Duke Democrats leader.

I find it totally amazing how when a Republican leader is disgraced...they get welcomed to campuses to "inspire" our young people.

You know like Alberto Gonzales getting paid $40,000 to speak at the University of Florida.

Well, it appears the leaders of the Duke Democrats is not averse to Rove being invited.

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/11/15/News/Karl-Rove.To.Speak.In.Page.Dec.3-3104033.shtml

"Right-wing political guru Karl Rove will speak on campus Dec. 3, political science professor Peter Feaver confirmed Wednesday.

"He's one of the most consequential public figures of recent times," Feaver said. "People who liked what he has been involved with and who didn't like what he's been involved with both would find it fascinating to come hear him firsthand."

Feaver worked with the former deputy chief of staff and chief political strategist for President George W. Bush while working on the National Security Council from 2005 to this year.

...."Although some students may oppose the policies of such a high-profile and controversial figure, Rove's speech presents a rare chance for those students to engage him in discussion and gain more insight on current issues, said Duke Democrats President Samiron Ray, a sophomore.

"As chief architect of many Bush administration policies from the past few years, hopefully this will allow Duke students to question him in a very pointed way," Ray said. "We don't want this to turn into a glorified revisionary speech-we want this to be pretty down-to-earth and raw."

I sure do disagree with that. Samiron Ray should be speaking out and asking why all these disgraced political figures are asked to speak at universities.

It is outrageous.

[recovering democrat]

28. Newsweek version of "fair and balanced"?

Hiring Rove is ridiculous anyway. Promoting Rove as a right wing voice balancing Markos is way past ridiculous (there needs to be a new word for how stupid this is).

I have informed Newsweek that I have no problem with freedom of expression, but I will not buy Newsweek as long as one cent goes to pay Karl Rove to support his continued efforts to destroy this country.

When I first saw this, it reminded me of Fox News "fair and balanced" advertising, which is neither fair nor balanced.

[MrCoffee]

29. an insult to our country?

:rofl:

[madfloridian]

30. I have given up figuring what you mean.

Glad you think it is funny. I don't.

[Baby Snooks]

31. The Media is about Money

Journalism as we knew it was buried along with Katherine Graham several years ago. Welcome to the new corporate world of the media. Bottom line is not truth. Bottom line is profit.

[madfloridian]

32. On Fox, Rove said "You know, I'm Grendel ... They're after me."

Poor little nasty spirited man...everyone is after him. Earlier as I posted above...he said he was Moby Dick, and they were after him.

In addition, two weeks ago Rove skipped a Congressional hearing on the allegedly improper use by White House aides of Republican National Committee email accounts. Leahy has vowed to continue the investigation. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Rove said "I'm Moby Dick and they're after me."

More recently on Fox..he said even more.

Aug. 20, 2007 | On Fox News Sunday morning, Karl Rove played the victim. He told host Chris Wallace that in the wake of his resignation as White House deputy chief of staff, his enemies were on the hunt. Rove compared himself to a legendary monster whom the ancient Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf sought to slay. "I mean, I'm a myth, and they're ... You know, I'm Grendel ... They're after me.

But Rove, who pursued his Democratic foes with a relentless repertoire of dirty tricks, smears and outright lies, won't win many sympathizers by depicting himself as unfairly maligned. He is likely to be remembered above all for his own expertise at demonization, specifically for his ability to paint his political opponents as unreliable partners in the "war on terror" -- as traitors to the United States. A master propagandist, he portrayed his rivals as fellow travelers with Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. Like Cain, from whom Grendel was said to be descended, Rove was more interested in fratricide than in the welfare of his people.

While the Democrats were debating on ABC's "This Week" Sunday morning, Rove appeared on the other three political talk shows. Surprisingly, it was Wallace of "Fox News Sunday" who asked Rove to defend his rhetorical legacy. For about a fourth of his interview, Wallace pushed Rove again and again to explain his willingness to cast aspersions on the patriotism of Democrats.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/08/20/rove/print.html

Rove was on 3 shows on a Sunday morning?? He really is getting too much attention.

[Cha]

33. Hi Mad...OT, but is there a thread

around here, "Wishing Dean a Happy Birthday!"?

I can't find one but I want one. :)

[madfloridian]

34. Yes, there is one in GDP...barely hanging in there.

The one at Daily Kos dropped like a rcck, and Capn's survived but just barely.

Not like it used to be.

:hi:

I will see if I can find it.

Here you go.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3727933

Guess all the Deaniacs got driven away.

[Cha]

41. I've been on the phone to NYC,

wishing my niece, who turned 23 today, Happy Birthday..they're all going to see Stevie Wonder, tonight, at Madison Square Garden! :party:

Thanks mad..I'll try and revive this baby..Don't need to be a Deaniac to appreciate all the Good Works the hard working Guv has done for us all!

:hi:

[WGS]

36. If Rove

Is such a fool, stupid. ignorant and an idiot why is everyone so afraid of him? If he doesn't matter, why all the fuss?
I read Newsweek, I will continue to read it, I just won't read the part that Karl Rove wrote. He will be gone soon enough so why all the bother and why deprive yourselves of an otherwise good news magazine. I read at DU that Rove controls or controlled almost everything, why let him control what you read?

[bjobotts]

37. A gutter political strategist who should be behind bars not given a column

I posted at the carpetbagger when it seemed Rove was being listed as some sort of counter point to Marcos for Newsweek. Yet Marcos was never in a position of undermining our laws and politicizing the DoJ, or "fixing" elections or prosecutions.

This is not "the opposite vision", this is a corrupt vermon who should be in prison. If our DoJ and our congress were operating in accord with the constitution and our laws then he would already be indicted. Instead we get a WH refusing to turn over evidence, or destroying evidence at the RNC to protect the corrupt bastard.

Newsweek just pissed it's integrity away by hiring this embarrassing, law breaking, gutter slime to be part of the discussion on the campaign trail.
They will look incredibly incompetent when Rove is put in prison where he belongs. Or will his column just be titled, "Behind Prison Walls the GOP Stands for Integrity". Newsweek demonstrates poor judgment and sinks to the level of the National Enquirer. Aliens stole Roves brain ala Bush.

[robbedvoter]

38. Media = Propaganda. Just becoming more obvious.

[madfloridian]

46. Gee, maybe Rover will get even more media access since Scottie's words

about standing in front of the press corps, being assured he was telling the truth and then finding they all knew.

Seems the pattern is that the more crooked you are the more the right wing loves you....the more the media loves you.

The good guys don't get much air time, and when they do are very careful.