Rove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/09/rove-iraq-2008-election/

Rove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election

Yesterday on NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent John Yang said that Bush’s senior political aide Karl Rove has apparently calculated that Iraq will not affect the 2008 elections. Rove, who spoke Sunday at the Aspen Ideas Festival, reportedly said “Iraq may not be a big issue in the next election because, he hopes, troops will be coming home by then.” Watch it at link~

The Atlantic’s Ross Douhat notes that “Rove talked fluently about the surge as a means to enable us to start drawing down our forces” while the Aspen Daily News provides a few more details on Rove’s speech:

Overall, Rove said the goal was to make the “U.S. combat footprint smaller,” but he also surmised later in the interview that when the next president is sworn in on Jan. 21, 2009, plenty of American troops would still be in Iraq.

Rove appears only to be interested in creating the impression that the troops will be coming home by election day 2008 rather than actually instituting a real redeployment policy. As today’s New York Times reports:

Mr. Rove had warned that if Mr. Bush went too far in announcing a redeployment, the result could include a further cascade of defections — and the passage of legislation that would force a withdrawal by a specific date, a step Mr. Bush has always said he would oppose.

Unfortunately, as Joe Sudbay notes, Rove is still a leading figure in crafting administration policy, which means we can only expect half measures and political rhetoric that appeals to the conservative base, instead of a responsible plan for the orderly withdrawal of American troops from the middle of a civil war.

[woodsprite]

1. I figure it's because we'll either be in Iran or there won't be a "next election". n/t

[liberal N proud]

4. Or there could be another terrorist attack on American soil before then

Making that the issue or enabling them to cancel the elections.

[CGowen]

11. Some really are dreaming of it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3361703&mesg_id=3361703

[AndyA]

2. Bush doesn't know how to end the mess he's created.

Just like everything else in his miserable little life, he'll leave the hard work, the dirty work, to someone else.

The man is a national embarrassment to America.

[bluestateguy]

3. And Rove has "the math" too

:rofl:

[pingzing58]

5. Exactly. It's ok. Let Rove continue to create more policy blunders.

[SoFlaJet]

12. THANK you blue

he's really good at stealing elections not at the strategy to actually win one fair and square

[onehandle]

6. Spin of the damned. by

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. We surge so we can withdraw. More violence means we're winning because they're desperate. Black is

white. Up is down.

[BuyingThyme]

8. He's probably right. It will be penises, fetuses, and the men who love both

and will never have either.

[truebrit71]

9. Not for you it won't you fat-fuck...you'll be doing time/facing extradition

..turning States' evidence in your boss's war crimes tribunal...

[cassiepriam]

10. Looks like he is going to manufacture a big non issue for the masses.

Let's see if they buy it this time.

[jojo54]

13. The Dems have to make sure it REMAINS an issue.

Billions and billions of tax payers hard earned $$$'s have been spent on an impossible situation and stuffed into peoples back pockets. This is YOUR MONEY and MY MONEY and we have to let congress know that we're PISSED!!!!

[supernova]

14. Of course Rove would say that

After all, he really only wants to create the appearance of doing something, without actually doing anything meaningful.

[OHdem10]

15. Pundits on Sunday Shows and

Breaking MSNBC this am.

The WH is considering withdrawing from Iraq.At least some
WH Advisors are pushing this issue to Presideant.

Some believe it would better for GWB to get out in front
of the issue before too many Republicans peel away from
the President. Secondly, it could, they believe thrwart
the Democrats planned action. Head the Dems off at the
pass so to speak.

Could it be that Hagel, Lugar, Voinovich, Domenici, Gregg are
providing the WH Cover to get out now? At least start
the process now. Lugar specifically stated in his speech.
We do not have the time to wait until September..

IMO, the Republicans know that if they want a prayer of
keeping their seats in Congress something has to be done.

[underpants]

18. Of course no one mentions that they HAVE TO start drawing down in the spring of '08

because they have so completely screwed up this whole thing they won't have the troops to continue at this level.

:eyes:

[IDemo]

16. Utterly absurd. It's the ten ton republic elephant

This fits Rove's style: attack your opponent's greatest strength; defend or deny your own greatest weakness.

There ain't enough lipstick in the Revlon warehouse for this pig.

[soothsayer]

17. sounds like rove has jumped the shark

[underpants]

19. in a word-GENIUS!!

The man is more of a genius than previously imgined!!!

:sarcasm:

Hey Karl- the press didn't have any handy talking points ready to go when the war and the system of graft and corruption ripped through the news filter and bit you right in the arse last November.

:eyes:

[bunkerbuster1]

23. Super-Genius!

Like Wile E. Coyote, he's due to be pummeled any second now.

[spanone]

20. Because he knows that Iran will be attacked before election.

[roamer65]

21. I agree.

[mod mom]

22. Why kkkarl, because it's already stolen, AGAIN?