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James Boyce

James Boyce

Posted: September 16, 2008 05:58 AM

Karl Rove Sets Obama Up For A** Kicking


Sigh, when will the Democrats learn? The Republicans are snickering right now as Karl Rove has set up the Obama campaign for one of the world's great ass-kickings in the final 30 days of the campaign, and the Obama campaign fell for it hook, line and Swift Boat sinker.

Here's what happened:

McCain ads not passing 'truth test', Rove says


Former Bush political adviser Karl Rove became an unlikely critic of John McCain yesterday, charging that the Republican presidential nominee had joined Barack Obama in shading the truth in campaign advertising.

"McCain has gone, in some of his ads, similarly gone one step too far in sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100-percent truth test," Rove said on "Fox News Sunday."

The concept of Karl Rove having a truth test is absolutely laughable.

Karl Rove has lied, distorted and destroyed what small vestiges were left of honor in politics in this country, note I said small vestiges. He is the worst of the worst and there he is on FOX NEWS of all places, talking about a 'truth test.'

I know a fair amount about Rove and have watched how he distorts the truth with the best of them and how he is still doing it, advising a front group called Freedom's Watch which, among other things, accuses Speaker Pelosi of driving up oil prices. (Smells like something Karl but it's not the truth sitting on the floor under your table.)

Where most of us would smell danger, the Obama campaign saw opportunity and not the trap below the opportunity.

It rushed to slam John McCain with the words of Karl Rove:

A fundraising email from the Obama campaign to supporters today opened with this: "Even Karl Rove had to admit yesterday that the McCain campaign's lies and negative attacks have gone 'too far.'"


The reference is to Rove's comments on Fox News Sunday yesterday, where he said, "McCain has gone, in some of his ads, similarly gone one step too far in sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100% truth test."

The email continues:

John McCain is running the most negative and dishonest campaign in modern presidential history. He has demonstrated that he'd rather lose his integrity than lose this election.

As Todd Beeton at MyDD asks:

First Rove, now Romney. Thoughts on what they're up to?

the answer is painfully clear.

Come mid to late October, watch for a horrific ad against Obama, think racists, Muslim-baiting, William Ayers or worse -- the worst ad you can imagine running against a black candidate full of lies and innuendo.

Cut to Karl Rove on FOX NEWS:

Karl, you've criticized McCain's campaign in the past for untrue ads? What do you think of this one?


I think it's fair, honest, and to the point. The American people have the right to know if the next President of the United States is a Muslim.

Cue taps.

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Sigh, when will the Democrats learn? The Republicans are snickering right now as Karl Rove has set up the Obama campaign for one of the world's great ass-kickings in the final 30 days of the campaign,...
Sigh, when will the Democrats learn? The Republicans are snickering right now as Karl Rove has set up the Obama campaign for one of the world's great ass-kickings in the final 30 days of the campaign,...
 
 
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05:39 AM on 09/18/2008
Correct James, and Rove starts earlier than predicted. With a roveanesk smile on hus face he declared in todays WSJ:
"The idealism and discipline that led to Mr. Obama's early primary victories has been replaced by unattractive attacks on Mr. McCain."

Simon from Old Europe
Transatlantikblog.de
10:20 PM on 09/16/2008
James--I think this is much ado about nothing. DEMS know Rove is not their friend. Remember, McCain was being called out by a lot of folk both liberal and conservative. But for Rove to say McCain had gone too far truly represented the urgency of the moment. Others on Fox news had also called McCain out. I do not think Obama is dumb enough to think Rove is now on ur side. I mean give the man some credit. The examples you use are useless. This was/is going to happen anyway. November 5th can't get here fast enough. I am nervous about the outcome, but this needs to be over. It is too much.
photo
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We're all Bozos on this bus.
09:12 PM on 09/16/2008
James:
I agree that Karl always has ulterior motives. I am not convinced your are right though. I think his remark about "somebody has to be the adult" was telling. I think he might be trying to get inside Obama's head and get him to back off on negative ads. I did get a laugh when Karl stuttered over the words "the 100-percent truth test". It was like the word truth was a new word for him. lol
06:57 PM on 09/16/2008
We the People...

HOPE IS HERE...CHANGE IS COMING!
06:31 PM on 09/16/2008
Everyone knows this is coming, these subjects are really old news, thats hardly an October surprise. That commercial you are so fearful of, will land with a thud. Just when you think McCain's camp can't look more desperate, I almost hope they put out that add, that would be the nail in their coffin.
04:48 PM on 09/16/2008
I am going to be a nervous wreck until the election. Too many bumper sticker brains out there.
04:48 PM on 09/16/2008
never jumped on the carl wagon. like it's been said, you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. .. same applies in the case of carl
07:05 PM on 09/16/2008
I'm with you on that one and something didn't smell right the other day when Rove
made that comment.
03:46 PM on 09/16/2008
If Karl Rove comes back with Old Rev. Wright Rhetoric or William Ayers, the GOP better be careful. Read below.

Let's not forget the S&L Scandal of the 80's with John McCain and his dear friend Charles Keating. That scandal cost taxpayers close to $2 billion. Keating served time in jail and McCain walked away as though he never even knew his dear friend..... Are people aware of this?

Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
http://www.slate.com/id/1004633/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/24/politics/main3964240.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_3964240
04:04 PM on 09/16/2008
Lest we forget, there were 4 others involved with the S&L scandal. McCain was the only GOP member. The other 4, 3 of whom were reprimanded for their rolls. McCain and John Glenn were criticized for 'poor judgment'.

This tack would backfire or cause no damage.
04:36 PM on 09/16/2008
What amazes me is this guy (article's author) think Obama's team doesn't see through Rove? He thinks they took the bait? Please ...The best defense is a good offense...let them think you don't know any better. People Obama's team beat the unbeatable candidate and got Obama nominated. They didn't get dumber the last 19 months...geez Louise...have a little faith!
03:37 PM on 09/16/2008
I still don't think it's a trap. Reasonable people don't trust Karl Rove anymore and most of them won't buy an ultra-sleazy ad coming from McCain. Most of John McCain's dishonest ads have already been discredited and most people have already heard about Rev. Wright. That doesn't mean that the Obama campaign shouldn't be ready to dispute a despicable ad if and when it comes out.
03:56 PM on 09/16/2008
}}}}}}}}}
Reasonable people don't trust Karl Rove anymore
{{{{{{{{{

"Just today I found some curious support for that position when one of the TV networks released an analysis done by -- of all people -- Karl Rove, saying that I was the stronger candidate. Somebody got a hold of his analysis and there it is."
-Hillary Clinton

Michale.....
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04:07 PM on 09/16/2008
"Reasonable people don't trust Karl Rove anymore"

I'd be reassured if I thought there were not many unreasonable people, but the evidence doesn't support this idea.
03:23 PM on 09/16/2008
I have been very curious why I haven't seen any Rev. Wright ads too. I definitely expect to be inundated with them by this time next month.
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Freesia2
I'm nicer than I appear in print. :-)
04:51 PM on 09/16/2008
And my hope is that for every ad of Rev. Wright you see 2 of Palin's church belting out hysterical "holy laughter" and clips of Joel's Army preparring for armageddon and her pastor talking about how when the end days come all will be refugees to holy land of Alaska. A few shots of fainting people babbling in tongues might be nice as well.
06:10 PM on 09/16/2008
You expected them because the media kept telling us that it would come up in the GE. If McCain chooses to do that or the RNC chooses to do that - it would be a disaster for McCain NOT Obama because Obama and his camp have started to put it out there that McCain has no honor.
02:59 PM on 09/16/2008
Go for it repub rove, go for it! im still going to support Obama.
Konnie
PO'd PROGRESSIVE
02:57 PM on 09/16/2008
my most fervent prayer - is that all those newly registered democrates will actually follow thru and vote.......that all those millions of people that sent Obama their little contributions will actually vote., that all those folks without land line phones - and cellphones that cannot be polled will actually vote, that states that have always been red will flip to blue on election nite, and that all the
pundits will also turn blue and drop dead from the sheer thought that they didn't know it all - didn't see it
coming and choked before having to admit it.............

well a old lady can dream can't she............
06:55 PM on 09/16/2008
Konnie -

I had a fantastic conversation with a student at Ohio State the other night. He is a friend of my younger brother and was visiting the family. We talked about how none of the college student s he knows have a land line and how they are 99%+ excited to vote for Obama.

I'm with you...I am convinced that McCain is going to get more votes than Bush did in 2004, but that with the hyper-involved young vote, a glimmer of hope that the black community will finally participate in force and the incredible "ground game" of voter registration Obama will exceed 360 electoral college votes and become the next President by a 2/3 mandate.

HOPE IS HERE...CHANGE IS COMING!
02:36 PM on 09/16/2008
Mypov123, EESerafina42. I totally agree with your comments. I am amazed how many people still don't understand that Obama is a little smarter than people give him credit for. I mean c'mon seriously, we all know Karl Rove, you think he doesn't? you think he doesn't expect racist ad's? You think he didn't already figure this out. Why do you think he opted out of Public Financing? my guess so the $ would be there to fight this stuff? fund the increased voter registration with all the staffing that it takes. Do you really think my candidate Obama didn't already figure this out. Remember fight the smears website, DUH?

James, I fail to understand what Rove did to set Obama up. If he said nothing, the same things will happen. I don't get the point of this story. Seems like the same ole stuff already disgussed on CNN and everywhere else.
02:35 PM on 09/16/2008
We're not fooled. We're waiting impatiently for the ads. Karl Rove is the fool to think Obama and his followers are taking him seriously.
11:29 PM on 09/16/2008
Amen to that, we see right through this mess. People didn't fall for that Wright crap then and they want now. If they're like me, I'm tired of that mess.
01:55 PM on 09/16/2008
I was immediately leary of Rove's criticism, but I assumed it was their way of distancing McCain from Bush and Rove. I was surprised McCain didn't criticize Rove in return, but that might have been too obvious. We should all ignore Rove.