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Monday, December 01, 2003
Please allow me to introduce myself....
Tacitus says:
There's a fundamental disconnect between the popular Dem image of the President as a malapropism-prone bungler, and the fact that he continually wallops them time and again. From his mysterious ability to get their legislators to vote for a war they all deeply oppose, to precedent-shattering midterm victories, to a remarkable invulnerability to sustained criticism over very real policy flaws, ordinary partisan annoyance at these defeats is amplified a thousandfold by a nagging sense that, hey, we're getting shown up by a moron. And so derisive mythos comes back to bite 'em in the rear; good, and well-deserved.
This would be correct if one were to actually believe that George W Bush actually conceived or orchestrated any of these events. But one would have to be on an intellectual level with, say, Sean Hannity, to buy into the notion of George Bush as Master Political Strategist.
Mr. Tacitus, allow me to introduce you to Karl Rove.
and Karen Hughes.
Here's a little bit more about our buddy Karl:
As for the Waterloo of South Carolina, most of the facts are well-known, and among this group of Republicans, what happened has taken on the air of an unsolved crime, a cold case, with Karl Rove being the prime suspect. Bush loyalists, maybe working for the campaign, maybe just representing its interests, claimed in parking-lot handouts and telephone "push polls" and whisper campaigns that McCain's wife, Cindy, was a drug addict, that McCain might be mentally unstable from his captivity in Vietnam, and that the senator had fathered a black child with a prostitute. Callers push-polled members of a South Carolina right-to-life organization and other groups, asking if the black baby might influence their vote. Now here's the twist, the part that drives McCain admirers insane to this very day: That last rumor took seed because the McCains had done an especially admirable thing. Years back they'd adopted a baby from a Mother Teresa orphanage in Bangladesh. Bridget, now eleven years old, waved along with the rest of the McCain brood from stages across the state, a dark-skinned child inadvertently providing a photo op for slander. The attacks were of a level and vitriol that even McCain, who was regularly beaten in captivity, could not ignore. He began to answer the slights, strayed off message about how he would lead the nation if he got the chance, and lost the war for South Carolina. Bush emerged from the showdown upright and victorious . . . and onward he marched.
Eight months after the South Carolina primary, McCain and Weaver were on a plane campaigning with the nominee. This was the kind of barnstorming finale, closing in on the last week of the campaign that Rove normally wouldn't miss. But Weaver was with McCain on the plane, and if Weaver is present, Rove will not show. The governor was, nonetheless, ecstatic. With McCain at his side for the better part of two weeks, he'd been on fire. After a stop in Fresno, California, for a joint speech, Weaver slipped out of the hall and Bush slipped out after him. McCain, who was still inside working the crowd, was due to leave now, his promised time with Bush completed. McCain had told Representative Tom Davis, a Virginia congressman heading up the Republican congressional effort, that he'd spend the last week whistle-stopping House and Senate races.
Governor Bush approached Weaver, who was huddling with the McCain staff. They'd known each other for fifteen years. "Johnny, I want you and John to be with me until the end."
"Can't do it, George," Weaver said. "I just talked to Tom Davis, and he's really counting on us. We've made a commitment."
Bush grew agitated. "You don't seem to understand. I want you with us!" It was already clear that the race was very close. Bush was looking for every advantage. He said, "Look, I'm better when John's with me."
Bush said, "Hold on a minute," stepped away, placed a call on his cell phone, and walked back, looking relieved. "Look, I just talked to Karl, and he says don't worry about the congressional races. It's okay for you to come with me."
Weaver said, "Thanks anyway, but Karl's not in charge of us." McCain walked up. "Weav says you can't stay with me for the last week. Is that right, John?" Bush was simmering. McCain was uncertain what to do. After an awkward moment, Weaver said, "I'm sorry, we've really got to go," and hustled McCain into a waiting limo. The senator slumped into the seat, exhaled, and then, with a smile of relief, turned to Weaver and said, "Thank you."
When we actually think that George W Bush has called the shot on anything more important than what he is going to have for lunch, we'll give you a call. But like they say: if you hear your phone not ringing, that's me on the other end.
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