Rove: "Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely"

You are not going to believe this, well, actually you will... According to Karl Rove (on Charlie Rose), the Bush Administration did not want Congress to vote on the Iraq War resolution in the fall of 2002, because they thought it should not be done within the context of an election. Rove, you see, did not think the war vote should be "political".

Moreover, according to Rove, that "premature vote" led to many of the problems that cropped up in the Iraq War. Had Congress not pushed, he says, Bush could have spent more time assembling a coalition, and provided more time to the inspectors.

If you are like me, you have stopped reading/listening, and are rushing to get your anti-emetic.

It is worth remembering that the Senate in the fall of 2002 was controlled, barely, by Democrats. Get it? George Bush, we are being told, wanted to delay, wanted to hold back, wanted to take the time to build a coalition and let the inspectors finish their job, but that damn Congress just pushed him into it. George Bush, you see, is a careful, prudent, leader, deeply concerned about the consequences of premature.

Get it? If Biden, Clinton, Dodd or Edwards is part of the Democratic ticket, the Republicans will run a campaign charging the Senate Democrats with rushing to judgment, of pushing the poor President to premature...(well, you fill in the blank)....

Not that Iraq is that big of an issue. Rove claims that, if Iraq had been a big issue, that Joe Lieberman, who was pro-war, could not have won in Connecticut, defeating receiving more Democratic, Independent and Republican votes than any of his opponents.

I have purposefully NOT provided the (obvious) answers to his claims because to answer is to give him control of the argument. That's Rove's tactic, and I have written about that many times in these pages.

Instead, this should be used as a trigger to talk about Rove's history of dissembling, how that is reflected in the Bush Administration's entire approach to public policy and public information. Bush, through Rove, should be attacked for trying to escape responsibility and accountability. And, it will help to make some historical references to rulers whose tenure was so dismal that they could not allow historians to provide objective analyses, and thus try to write the history themselves.

As might have been predicted, Rove raises "historical revisionism" to new depths, what may become known as "hysterical Rovisionism."

Comments

[seenbetterdays]

In olden days, last names were often given based on one's occupation.
rove: v., An act of wandering about, over, around, or through.
Truth Rover. Reality Rover. Bush's Rover (as in woof, woof). Rover, Rover, Rover. That's all he knows.
Is there a democratic couterpart to this cheesy republican dirty tricks hack? Oh, wait, that would make them a republican, too. Dems watch out, it's just not in your DNA to fight this group on their terms. You're playing by the rules and they're playing with no rules. He's the Decider and he has decided there are no rules.

[mpgarr]

What?? What?? What???

What kind of BS is this--man oh man do these people have some major stones to try to spin this truckload of USDA Prime 100% BS!!!!!!

Holy Cow!!!!!!! Do they really think we are that freakin' stupid???

But, since it came out of the mouth of Bush's mind--Faux News, Rush, Laura, Ann, Sean, Ollie and the rest will get busy at work to spin this line.

Holy Shit!!!!!

[Trittydi]

Rove should only and ever be dressed in the outfit of a court jester - complete with the curly toed shoes.
*

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Are there no meaningful consequences for ex-Presidential advisors who propagate lies - on public airwaves!- concerning national security issues and policies? If only to defend themselves, our legislators might address this seriously, unless pre-occupied with that urgent matter, impeachment!

[drolleen]

THE JEWS DID IT ????

King of Spin is at it again. In the 1930's there was a famous information minister of a certain state in Europe that was an expert in blaming everything on the Jews.

Carl, you are an expert in using the tools of that someone.

Only this time its "The Democrats did it", no matter that there is not a single Democrat in the executive branch.

I wonder, if you had your choice, would you advocate a final solution to democrats?

[WilliamWallace]

So now they're blaming it on Premature Iraqulation?

[stevebdh]

Well, I'm not surprised that Rove would make this claim, but I also don't want to stoop to the level of debating it back and forth. Here is the simple logical response. Even if it were true that Congress wanted to push Bush to war as soon as possible, it is Bush's role and responsibility, as Commander in Chief, to decide when to do it. If he felt that it was too soon to go to war, then he should have simply said that, and not gone to war until he was convinced it was necessary. It's that simple. For Rove to say that Bush was forced into war because of Congress shows irresponsible behavior and a lack of knowledge for the separation of powers that our Constitution provides.

[osage]

AMERICANS ARE BEING BETRAYED BY OUR LEADERS AND THEIR COWARDLY ENABLERS FROM BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES

American political leaders must LOUDLY DENOUNCE George W. Bush"s actions and policies as UNCONSTITUTIONAL, CRIMINAL and IMMORAL rather than VALIDATE them with POLITICAL POSTURING and SILENT ACQUIESCENCE!

How is George W. Bush any less a war criminal and mass murderer than Saddam Hussein when they both instigated political and military policies that resulted in the deaths, eviscerations and maiming of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who wished harm to no one? Saddam"s purpose was to hold on to power and control in his own country, while Bush"s was to obtain power and control of a foreign country. The end results were the same¦.hundreds of thousands of innocent and defenseless dead/murdered human beings.

Bush has now finally given up on trying to achieve political stability in Iraq and basically allowing the Iraqis to fight their own fights because the American military CANNOT forcefully impose a military solution on an internal/cultural/political/sectarian/religious/tribal problem. The arrogance and ineffectiveness of the Bush administration has destroyed Iraq"s infrastructure, economy and ability to defend itself, while empowering our enemies throughout the region and the world. And to make matters worse, Bush futilely sacrificed and squandered the lives of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of billions of American dollars. Failure is too benign a word to describe the consequences of Bush"s unparalleled incompetency. That approximately 30% of Americans still approve of Bush"s presidency truly saddens me. I wonder how many Iraqi"s would say they approved of Saddam Hussein"s leadership. I wonder how many of them would call for his head. I wonder how many would call for the head of George W. Bush.

[noamjunior]

If Rove says it, it MUST be Bullshit

[jrutle]

It will be pretty remarkable if Republicans try to argue in the general election that Congress pushed Bush into war. I sure hope they try, though, because it will expose how morally bankrupt and incredible the GOP is.

[Nyla785]

Gotta love Rove--the man sure isn't afraid to lie outright. And then brazen it out.

[BrickSykes]

Friends, VERY IMPORTANT to remember that all these NeoCons, especially Karl Rove, are THE CRIMINALS AND NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!

We basically have Nothing to fear from them. Crime doesn't pay anymore today than it ever has...It is only THEM who seem to forget that. I don't even believe that they think they can get away with it. The whole rest-of-the-world is even more up-to-speed than WE are, and if WE don't hold them accountable, THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL!!

Remember, too, that they only BELIEVE that because they "own" the White House and what is left of DOJ, they can direct the entirety of America's power in whatever direction they choose. They Are WRONG!! Something, or Somebody, will STOP THEM!! It is already happening!

Ask anybody who has ever been BLINDSIDED! It takes a few minutes to clear your head before you can see the True picture of what just happened, and what you NEED to do about it. That is where we are today. America hasn't even STARTED to take these Bastards down!! They will find that what they've done was the absolute Worst Mistake they've ever made, and MUST Pay for It!!

Brick

[Herck]

Mr. Abrams is right. When someone has stepped off the brink into the abyss of psychotic, almost sociopathic, fantasy, there is no point in debate. Have you ever had a conversation with a schizophrenic who has been off his meds for awhile?

[americanwhocares]

You can contact Charlie Rose (PBS) at the following e-mail address and let him know what you think about his MSM journalist talents:
[e-mail]

[wsblake]

How dare Rose and PBS give this criminal a forum to spread more neocon lies. These bastards would eventually fade away if the MSM would stop giving them life.Just wait and see, this is only the beginning. This is Goebbels' Methods in Propaganda 101. The airwaves will be flooded with these lies until it becomes the truth in the mindless American psyche. By election time '08, Bush will be the unfortunate pawn of a warmongering Congress.