McCain Embraces Rove

Karl Rove last week announced that he had given $2300 to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

Asked over the weekend about the donation, McCain said he has "always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart great political minds I think in American politics," and specifically refused to condemn Rove's hyper-partisan campaign tactics (including his smears against McCain in the 2000 South Carolina race).

Watch it:

Transcript:

QUESTION: Are there other signs you see that are encouraging to you...

MCCAIN: Oh yeah. A lot of the fundraisers from other camps are coming on board. And yeah we're seeing that coming together really well. We're seeing it.

[Inaudible]

MCCAIN: Who?

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QUESTION: Karl Rove?

MCCAIN: Oh I, listen, he ah. Nobody denies he's one of the smartest political minds in America. I'd be glad to get his advice. I get advice from a lot of people. I'd be happy to have his advice.

QUESTION: I was wondering about that, right....

MCCAIN: He beat me. I certainly would be glad to get his advice. I don't think I'd want to revisit how he did it. And I mean that. Not about South Carolina. I mean I don't feel like reliving my defeat.

QUESTION: Are you worried about, he uses very aggressive tactics is that something that--

MCCAIN: I've always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart great political minds I think in American politics. I've always respected him. We never had any ill will after the initial South Carolina thing. After we had the meeting with President Bush we moved on. I've seen Karl Rove many times when I've been over at the White House. We've always had pleasant conversations.

QUESTION: His tactics don't, you don't disapprove of them? They don't make you nervous?

MCCAIN: It's not so much whether I approve of his tactics or not. It's that he has a very good, great political mind. Any information or advice and council he can give us, I'd be glad to have. I don't think anybody denies his talents. So I'd be glad to get any advice and council. We would obviously decide whether to accept it or not.

Comments

[TomR]

Just remember John: when you wrestle with a turd, all you get is covered in sh*t.

- Tom

[circusfifthfloor]

How do you think McCain's adopted daughter feels about her Daddy throwing HER under the bus. Yea, he's a hero, and little karl just made a mistake. These organisms are a different species altogether. What did Henley call them? "Men without souls." Once again," If we can elect a moron, we can elect a...,,

[OlongapoEd]

McCrazy is such a whore, he will probably nominate Hucksterbee as the Vice Presidential candidate.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

McCain: "The way Karl dragged my reputation, and even my adopted daughter, through the mud was the work of sheer genius. What's to forgive, when I already forgot? For my age, my memory is fine. It is Karl with a K, isn't it?"

[Cybesq]

McCain: "My friends, just because a shit heel like Rove shamed me and my family to get Bush the Republican nomination, that isn't a reason not to respect him. My friends, I look in the mirror and have no pride. My friends, I am a shameless unprincipled whore."

I think McCain may have Stockholm syndrome. McCain is Rove's bitch.

[dwillisno1]

Where I come from positive attributes are called talents. Being a prick is called , being a prick.
What Karl Rove does is not talent.

[carefulcautious]

McCON is no hero. He was no war hero compared to Kerry--who was actually FIGHTING the war in Vietnam (evil war), while McCON was sitting on his butt in some cell somewhere. Someone was working hard to serve as a hero. IT WAS NOT MCCON.

Obama/Edwards 08! Si se pueda! Yes I can!

[papasboy]

This statement is repulsive on many forms. Mcaiin wasn't just sitting on his butt in a cell. He was captured in combat. I am not a Mccain supporter, but to deminish what happened to him in Vietnam is absolutely discraceful! You ought to be ashamed!

[mari2JJ]

Look I am no McCain supporter but he was a great war hero. The guy could have been released from that prison months before the cease fire, but he refused because others were still going to be held and because Vietnam wanted to make a big deal of releasing an admiral's son. We do not need to defame his war record. Let's argue on the issues, and not get down and dirty like Republicans.

[dolphy]

McCain was dropping bombs on innocents. He refuses to see that what he did was a war crime. He deserved what he got from the people who captured him. He owes the Vietnamese people a public apology. As somebody said before, he sold his soul to the devil. As far as I'm concerned he does not deserve anything good for the rest of his vile life.

[carefulcautious]

What's repulsive is self-proclaimed "progressives" who abide racist killers who fight unjust wars for their reTHUGlican masters. BusHitler must be defeated and that includes his enabler McCON.

Obama/Edwards 08! Si su pueda! I want now!

[dr4Will]

this recycled piece of crap will bring America down with his distraught vision of America--McCan't is sicker than bush!!!

[drblack]

Rove's advice is always the same CHEAT and LIE.

[BWonka]

Way to go John! Keep doing everything you can to show why you are NOT qualified to be President.

What a sad, old fool. What atypical Rethuglican.

[loki]

maybe not qualified for President of the United States, but for the Rethugs and Corporate elitist, he is turning out to be just the ticket.

[longislandlol]

Oye Vey!

[PDXTransplant]

Grandpa McCain belongs in Sun City, AZ with the rest of the white hairs, not in the White House. Rove needs to go away period. We've had enough of his lying, scheming ass to last a life time for all of us.

[dolphy]

Rove needs to go inside a 6x8 box to never come out again for the rest of his evil life. He belongs in the bottom of an open sewer with the bottom crawlers like him.

[Plowboy]

The first thing a president must do is set a moral tone for the nation. Then the people can follow his lead with pride and enthusiasm. But what kind of moral tone does it set for one to seek such a known slimeball as Karl Rove for advice? Rove is only a political dirty trickster. He has nno other experiencce or expertese.

At this time some of us (it should be all) wish for a great sea change in Washington. We are tired of crooked dealing. It doesn't inspire me with any faith in McCain that he would even want anything to do with Karl Rove. But it seems that poor McCain has already sold his soul to the devil. I suppose he figures he has nothing more to lose. And since he isn't entirely stupid, he probably knows that there is no legitimate way for him to win. So he embraces Karl Rove.

[DasBoot]

Poor sucker. And what political talents, other than smears and lies, is McCain talking about?

[NewFrontier]

Karl Rove has never been officially associated with the South Carolina dirty trick that did in John McCain's campaign.

But here we have McCain all but announcing it to the world and that he and Bush and Rove met in the White House about it afterwards and agreed to move on.

Well, that's one for the record now, isn't it Herr Karl of the Austin Gay Underground?

[Paisano]

This just sent the independents running for the hills... Thank you Mr. McCain! Who's running this guys campaign...a kamakazie pilot?