More On Karl Rove’s Declaration Of War

One of our favorite commentators, Democratic centrist Bull Moose has a thank you note to President Bush’s right-hand man and political strategist Karl Rove for his controversial comments. We encourage you to read it in full but we’ll give you a big chunk of it here. We hate the word “fisk” (it sounds like someone who is messing up talking about a police pat down) but let’s do it:

My Dearest Karl,

Thank you so much for your remarks about terrorist coddling liberals and Democrats the other night. You so rarely reveal yourself to us! Back in South Carolina, you had the likes of brothers Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson execute your dirty work. In Texas, you usually operated in the shadows. Back in ‘04, your Swifties took out Kerry.

But on Wednesday night, you showed the entire world how you operate. Perhaps you thought that your polarizing rhetoric that you would divert attention from the Senate Rumsfeld hearing on Thursday. But, just look what is on the front page of the New York Times this morning….

He points to an article quoting a top military commander directly contradicting Vice President Cheney on the strength of the insurgency in Iraq. And then he goes on to say:

I’m sorry, Karl, it just doesn’t seem that the story of the Administration’s mendacity and mishaps will go away. But the Moose is truly amazed by the Administration’s powers to unite diverse Americans. You have brought together Ted Kennedy and Bill Kristol – they both think that Rummy should go!

But Karl, you have performed a great service for the nation and for the party – the Democratic Party, that is. With you comments, you have brought together old Democrats, new Democrats, liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, conservative Democrats, fat Democrats, thin Democrats, Christian Democrats, Jewish Democrats, Muslim Democrats, Pagan Democrats, Dennis Kucinich Democrats, Joe Lieberman Democrats, meat eating Democrats, vegetarian Democrats, Daily Kos Democrats, Bull Moose Democrats, New Donkey Democrats, Atrios Democrats, MoveOn Democrats and DLC Democrats.

You are truly a uniter and not a divider.

Indeed. We will say it ONCE MORE:

When George Bush ran for office the first time TMV told a lot of people about his many trips to Texas where he was always told of Bush’s ability as Texas Governor to work with both sides. Democrats and Republicans had told him that Bush did two things: (1)worked extremely well with Democrats and was well-liked, (2)put a more conservative infrastructure in in place in Texas government. Even Texans who didn’t agree with Bush seemed to like him and felt he treated those with whom he disagreed with respect.

TMV was WRONG about Bush. He predicted that even if Bush won, there was a basic center and consensus in American politics and Bush would be work within it and with the Democrats. Instead, as Bull Moose points out, we are now living through the most divisive Presidental administration in American history — NOT divisive just because there is a controversial war, but because its top political officials and the top apparatus of today’s GOP have made a POLITICAL CHOICE to label those who oppose it soft on terrorism and eager to see American soldiers be butchered in the field.

This is NOT the same kind of divisiness America faced under LBJ and Vietnam. Or even Nixon with his “great silent majority speeches” and classic Spiro Agnew addresses. But Bull Moose leaves out one point: Karl Rove is now wedding MANY centrists and MANY moderates to the Democratic party.

Why? Because the OVERRIDING VALUE is the way our democracy and democratic debate is conducted. And Rove — and the talking-points talk show hosts, and lockstep partisans who will immediately adjust their perceptions to whatever Their Leaders mouth or whatever position their leaders shift — is changing the way we have done political business in the United States in modern times.

This isn’t just saying Democrats are making excuses to keep a womanizing Bill Clinton in office. This is saying a party doesn’t care about the lives of Americans at home (soft on terrorism and seeking Dr. Phil to intervene) and wants to see Americans hurt in the field.

(And, oh, please, GOP and GOP supporters, don’t offer that malarky about “Rove only said liberals he didn’t say Democrats” — unless you can provide a big list of all the Republican Liberals Rove is refering to). MORE:

The Moose has even spoken with some of his old right wing buddies who are appalled and puzzled by you remarks. Karl, the Moose is concerned – have you lost your touch? Do you need to get away?

There will probably be a lot of pressure on you to apologize today. Please, please, please stand your ground. Progressives would prefer that this story would stick around for a few days. Heck, it could be the rallying cry for ‘06.

How can the Moose express his sincere gratitude to you? Keep it up, good buddy!

Sincerely,
The Moose

OUR VIEW: Rove won’t apologize and he will maintain support people on the far right, talk show hosts like Sean and Rush, and what we call “lockstep” partisans, versus independent thinking partisans (who exist in BOTH parties).

There will be thoughtful Republicans who will realize: this is NOT the Republican party of Ronald Reagan, or Dwight Eisenhower, or Richard Nixon. This is NOT the Republican party of Theodore Roosevelt — or even the Republican party that people like John McCain or George Bush, Sr., joined many years ago. And there will be many in the GOP who will be happy that it is not that kind of party any longer.

Meanwhile, many centrists and independents may soon conclude that the only solution to this is to not to vote if they feel inclined to vote GOP, or even hold their noses and cast protest votes in 2006 and 2008 for the Democrats.

Why? Because the GOP never could have won the last elections without garnering some votes from the center and from Democrats who felt their party had gotten too extreme.

Karl Rove is taking a sledghammer to the GOP’s carefully-constructed past image.

And, yes, Bull Moose, Democrats should be smiling — except for the fact the kinds of passions Rove is intentionally whipping up are not amusing.