Barnes (hearts) Rove
Practically every day for the last seven years, Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, has been the most shameless, unapologetic White House sycophant in DC. In most instances, it seemed as Barnes couldn’t speak while Karl Rove was drinking water.
And while many of us have already had our fill of Rove retrospectives, you haven’t really read a Rove hagiography until you’ve read Barnes’ hagiography.
Rove is the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation. He not only is a breathtakingly smart strategist but also a clever tactician. He knows history, understands the moods of the public, and is a visionary on matters of public policy. But he is not a magician.
I particularly enjoyed the reference to “any generation.” In other words, Barnes believes Rove may very well be the greatest political mind who has ever lived. (Jonathan Chait added, “Actually, I’m surprised Barnes’ qualified that statement with ‘political.’”)
For that matter, the “not a magician” line is, oddly enough, meant to be even more flattering. As Barnes sees it, Rove is a political demigod, but unfortunately some people failed to constantly listen to his genius, to their own detriment. Damn skeptics; didn’t they see the light shining around Rove’s head?
barnes loves rove, wow, didn't expect that
http://www.chris-floyd.com/
http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/
http://www.distantocean.com/
can you add these to your daily blog round up, tanks
The rethugs. just can't help but idolize their top criminals and crooks. That's all they got.
he barnes maybe you can get together with dumplin cakes and show him how you really feel....... you know get a quite room in dallas or something and while you are at it,
tell me if rovakins is so "brilliant" why is he one of the most obsessive, compulsive Liars washington have ever seen? I saw him on tv one time and he spoke for about 10 minutes and EVERYTHING he said was a frikin Lie. Genius? NO! Liar? YES!
"Rove is the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation."
Yea, "The Architect" engineered the following:
The worst foreign policy disaster in US history.
The "permanent majority" that resulted in the GOP losing both houses of congress in 2004.
An unsuccessful divisive political strategy that has now made Rove a pariah within his own party.
Bush's approval ratings down to the mid 20's.
Sheer genius Fred!!.....oh, and wipe your mouth Fred. Karl's jism is running down your cheek.
Fred Barnes? That man has uttered some of the most idiotic statements ever heard on tv. Talk about a Republican tool, this guy personifies the phrase.
According to Barnes he is no magician but a GOD.
Sheesh...get a room!
The Weekly Standard is the republican's version of Mad Magazine, but it's ridiculous humor is only appreciated by liberal intellectuals and the sane. All others, especially republicans, view it as an appendum to The Bible.
'Our Father, which art a Kristol....'
If he's so smart how did he lose congress to the democrats?
Wow. If Republicans are so against gay rights, then why do they let Barnes make homosexual love to Rove through the use of words in an op-ed?
Rove isn't smart.
He's just willing to be dishonest and unethical.
In general, the neocons operate under a different moral code. And people gush that they are smarter than everyone else. But it's not "smart," it's just an alternate moral universe they occupy.
"...breathtakingly smart..." ?
Talk about gushing...Did anyone check the WH logs for an F. Barnes on stayovers with J. Gannon? Icky.
How smart is rove? Does it take intelligence to rig elections, lie, steal and dance like a freak?
I bet they are doing one another.
So when does Rove get arrested? Hasn't just about every WH staffer snuck out the back door just before they got busted?
Well, if Shrub is so widely considered to be not so smart, and Cheney and Rummy are more special-interest operators (defense and energy/patronage), how else has Bush managed to do so much harm to the country in the face of 27-percent approval ratings, without a top-notch political operator in his pocket?
By limiting it to "political mind", Barnes may not be so far off - do massive harm to the country, and manage to fool a large percentage, and override much of the rest, to get it done against popular disapproval. It does take a pretty high-level political operator to pull that off. Don't forget the mid-term Texas gerrymandering, as well, to try to preserve the Rethuglican majority.
And every attempt to set timetables, or withhold military funding, even since the majority-Dem Senate and House, has foundered (although Lieberman, the fink, may be a factor here). Political operating, again.
I'd like to see a revival of "Monty Pytons Flying Circus" updated, using their classic skits to lampoon the Bush Clown Administration and their asshat supporters. In this case I can think of many of their skits where they ridiculed such bootlicking, man worship to perfection.
Actually, that's seems to be a plagiarism of what people consider Hillary's strength in Bill campaigning with her.
Eric @ 16:
Abu Ghraib?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSe38dzJYkY
I had to read it again...Rove takes his breath away......eew!
Many drink the kool-aid. Only the true believers ask for a refill. Time to lie down now, Fred.
kdjid @ 19:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHIxhLzeFg4
I'm sick of Fred and his rose colored tortoise shell glasses. Everything the repubs do gets the up arrow on "The Beltway Boys"
Did I need more evidence that Fred Barnes is a boob?
I noticed that, but took it for fulminating bullshit.
Someone get a crow bar and pry these two creeps apart.
Shorter Repud logic: "Karl Rove is the most brilliant strategist in the world and it is a good thing for George W. Bush that Rove resigned because now Rove can really exersize his power.
-GSD
Cantor de Mambo @ 23:
And I eat boobs for breakfast....uh wait, can I get back to you?
Yes, this is also proof of the lack of ethics on the part of the Repuds. Winning is the only thing, not fairness, honesty or decency.
Just the way Jesus would like it!
-GSD
ysbaddaden @ 18:
Actually I was thinking of this sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KcoOkXy2Pk&mode=related&search=
Rove is more like the GM of a baseball team who realizes if his guys use steroids and pain killers he can keep his starters in the whole game all season. Sure they win a lot of games but by season's end the players are broke down and the bench has no experience.
pretty easy to be labeled a 'genius' when your willing to break the law and have the media covering for you.
ysbaddaden @ 21:
Thanks! I love that song. Tom Cruise as Karl Rove...that's a bit of a stretch. :-)
OK, let's conced that Rove is good at his job, so what? Hitler was good at his job too.
If your job is doing evil things...
Depending on what you mean by phrases like "great political mind" he is actually pretty close to the mark. Hell, Hitler was an amazing politician. Doesn't make him anythig more than several scum levels below human, but if you look just at the ability to manipulate large populations, it's impressive.
Of course, I think Barnes thinks that Rove is not only a good manipulator, but is good for humanity as well. Scary thought.
Hey Simon, how bizarre, I typed my post before reading yours.
It sickens me when a person is described as a genius just because they are ruthless, cold, lacking in any decency and honor, and don't care who they shit on.
The word for such a person is... well, I'm not going to repeat it here, as I've no wish to get myself banned.
But Karl Rove is a complete one of those. None of his machinations are those of a genius.
And "Bush's dip in popularity" had nothing to do w/the lying, cheating, prevaricating, vicious, unprincipled, misrepresenting, win-at-any-cost Rove's actions? GMAFB.
Hmmmm. Optional to jump into a stinking tub of Rove.
I'd rather starve.
Rove is the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation. He not only is a breathtakingly smart strategist but also a clever tactician. He knows history, understands the moods of the public, and is a visionary on matters of public policy.
Bullshit.
Rove is a Machiavellian scumbag.
Mentally ill & evil to the core.
MC Rove - the MC stands for "major cocksucker".
I'm sure the fictional Hannibal Lecter was a genius too. I think Ted Bundy was bright as well. Personally, I think the air smells much fresher now that TB is gone.
Oh... and when you go outside, make sure to smile, look up and wave to the camera:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118714764716998275.html
Wish I knew how to link because Bill Maher on Larry King last night had the perfect rebuttal to Fred Barnes re Karl Rove's putative genius. I can't stand that current buzz word "breathtaking" (such hyperbole), but maybe Karl Rove smells like a real turdblossom, and in that sense he is breathtaking.
Fred Barnes has ZERO credibility after his appearance on the Diane Rehm show a while back when he stated that "it is widely accepted that George W. Bush volunteered for military duty." She called him on it, and her crack staff produced a memo which shows that in his original application for military service, GWB checked the box "do not volunteer."
One thing is true about this, though, and that is FB learned how to spin from the great spin-meister. Tell a lie long enough and forcefully enough, and it will be regarded as the truth.
(egads, I need a shower after that post...yuck!)
From the incomparable Mr. Drinkwater:
How to spot the garbage in American Society today.
Feel free to poke around the site, lots of great stuff up there.
~Nyc
Sometimes the times requires that new words be made up to fit unprecedented situations. I coined one that applies to Fred Barnes:
Psychophant
Just give me credit. :-)
Turkey Neck Karl is not dumb just a f-in scumbag who is addicted to power..
Maybe he means "breathtaking" in the sense that ammonia is.
He got Bush into office twice. That makes Rove a genius in the same way as the inventor of the Pet Rock. Although, to be fair, Rove had less to work with.
Lyme disease, perhaps?
Let see ... two stolen elections (one reliant on 9-11 fear), one miserable mid-term loss, Iraq-the foobar of the century, and a disastrous presidency with shit low poll numbers.
Rove is a failure and cut n runner. He'll come out with a book that will also fail and then he'll disappear into the abyss of Ingram, TX.
Barnes: I'm never wrong, despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary - and here's why...
Yes. And don't forget to put the plastic bag over your head. You won't be allowed on the mothership without it.
JudyLou, "psychophant" is pretty good. I'll give you credit whenever I use it. There's something about the phant part of the word that suggests Republican too. I like that--layers of meaning in one word.
Turdblossom puts the hag back into hagiography.
they are so boring.
it takes a real genius to play on peoples greed and fear while your representing
one of the most powerful legacies. wow genius. he took hoodwinked christian right throwing a few bones to the evangelists. whoa amazing brain power.
Eric @ 28:
Loonie @ 35:
Machiavellian?
But he is not a magician.
Not unless you call the ability to turn everything he touches into shit magic. I think "criminal" is more accurate.
Ass backwards-Mephistophelian?
In the wake of the resignation of Karl Rove, most media post-mortems of the architect of the Bush presidency describe his legacy as one of ultimate failure. That is, in the end Karl Rove fell short of his goal to secure a permanent Republican majority monopolizing all three branches of government for the next generation. Instead, he leaves behind a Democratic Congress and an unpopular, enfeebled President Bush.
But those accounts fail to capture the enduring dark cloud that Karl Rove has cast over the American political landscape. His grim legacy is certainly not about public policy (about which he cared little) or even about winning and losing (about which he cared a great deal). No, the indelible mark of Karl Rove is the permanent transformation and debasement of American politics itself.
For the details, see:
"The Base Politics of Karl Rove."
Gads....what bullshit!....Utter bullshit... I'd say 'get a room', but someone already beat me to it...JD
Just read this from a poster on the Kos, and I thought it on topic to note his well said comment here:
"Brilliant, unbeatable strategist? By his own mediocrity, with a generous assist by a handful of progressive bloggers and a fake, comedy news show or two, Karl Rove has been beaten to a pulp. Even absent, he may remain the democrats' most valuable asset for a decade. Rove is not riding off triumphantly into the Texas sunset. He is no fool, he is no genius: Karl Rove is just the latest neocon failure, scandal swirling around him like angry snowflakes, slinking away in quiet disgrace."
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/14/12941/8971
turdblossom's managed to do to the US what the repugs said of Clinton when they ran ads that made Arkansas look like Transylvania.
Why did Barnes back down at the end?
"But he is not a magician."
I mean, if you're in full kneepads mode, like Barnes is here, why the hesitancy?
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Da Spyda @ 38:
I would like to be morbid for a moment, but still stranger, I would defend the quote partially. First off, the quote above me is mostly right! He is a machiavellian scumbag -- and he was damned good at it. You cannot argue that he has all but escaped all judgement after enacting his insideous plan (we'll see what the dems actually do to reign him in... but I have a feeling that he will be retired and out of the country with his money before anyone actually finds him accountable); a plan we still don't know to its fullest extent! tee hee (*puke*), Rove IS indeed brilliant. Only a brilliant man could have hijacked the entire Executive branch and created the architecture of what could have been the strongest running Republican majority that ever was. He did fail, and HE IS EVIL. But one cannot argue that he didn't do his evil shite very well for his purposes. I think that is what pisses most of America off... that someone soooooo evil and misguided could be so damned cunning, intelligent, and evasive.
Don't think I'm raising him up, please. He should have been taken down a long time ago; but I can't help but see what Fred was sayin' when he called him the greatest political mind of his generation.
All we need now is someone on the side of the People who is just as cunning, intelligent, and determined as Mr. Rove so that this new great mind can take down all of the Retards and Fuckwads in the White House.
Oh, and as for myself, I am inclined to believe Rove is a magician, and a very skilled one. How else can the white house prestidigitate thousands of emails from apparent existence?! Friggin' evil overlords and their crafty ways..... prestidigitate for peace, man! someone pull his guilt of out the hat!
Apparently, no one tipped Steve B. off to the fact that Barnes is a Rethuglican robot with no brain. This explains why Barnes makes all the stupid statements he has on a daily basis for years. He is a brainless, hopeless, scyophant. It also explains why he can only find employment at the Weekly Standard with the other robot, William Krystol.
Rummie resigned before the election but Rove waited to announce after.
Rove just used the gullible wingnuts to get w elected.
He is no genius, he is just another failed idiot.
Geez.
This really is a great problem in this country! That people as seriously delusional as Fred Barnes are allowed to mingle in the general population.
I wrote on another posting that Rove was an IDIOT... I was wrong... I agree that he IS a genius.
Only a GENIUS could get an absolute imbecil like GW Bush into the White House, TWICE.
And I'm being serioius too... Rove was a genius.
Maybe Barnes can change little Georgie's poopy diapers now.....
King of Mean @ 66:
hear, hear! It is because we underestimated these Thugs in the first place that we are in this mess. We assumed the whole white house was as dumb as Dubbya. He (Rove) is a genius and we need to start thinking like Geniuses before we will catch up to his plans.
may have been a brilliant political strategist, but did he have ethics or a moral compass? when all is said and done, how would you like your legacy to read, "brilliant political strategist lacking any semblance of morals," or simply, "this was a good and moral person." i can imagine that rove was the kind of kid in school who was given quite a few bitch slappings, and surprisingly given their current relationship, bush is the kind of kid who would enjoy dishing those out, all the while with a smirk.
MC Rove - the MC stands for "major cocksucker".
does this mean someone found that gannon was visiting rove in the white house all those nights???
Timmy v @ 67:
Wouldn't that be the DC madam's job?
Barnes (hearts) Rove
As the conservatives would say, "Get a Womb!"
ysbaddaden @ 71:
No, probably Gannon/Guckert...
i didn't realize that shit had a shine to it. oh, i forgot wet shit does, but then the shit surrounding rove's head is dried up. opps!!!!!!!!!!!
No, he is a low life con artist, liar and thief!
He could only keep ahead of the truth while his lies still had traction. Rove is going to be political roadkill like the rest of the conservative movement.
Barnes /______) Rove
))
Barnes
/______) Rove
))
Rove's only talent is to be able to break the law and not get arrested for it.
Maybe Barnes loves Rove so much because Rove got Barnes the better White House rate for Jeff Gannon's services.
Every few months another neo-criminal will jump ship. They'll do this until the end of Bush's term as a distraction so they can all avoid prosecution.
One thing that still makes me wonder is... How the hell could anyone honestly believe that Karl Rove is a political genius?
Seriously?
His policy's led to blunder after blunder. He is dishonest to the core, and if he is so good at what he does THEN why is the Presidents popularity rating consistently low and in fact so bad that they are dragging the entire Republican movement down with them and probably will for several years to come?
Karl Rove was never a genius.
He is a selfish, greedy, corrupt, immoral man, who didn't give a damn about anyone and anything except his own addiction to power.
His hubris is only exceeded by his mendacity.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out Karl.
Bloggers making TV smarter, one blog post at a time
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I figured Rove was departing so he could go and work for whoever turns out to be the leading republican candidate. That is if he didn't "divide-and-conquer" their base so much that even he's out of a job.
Wess @ 80:
I don't disagree with that statement. Unfortunately it also describes most people in politics regardless of the party. Bill and Hillary for instance ;) It's also a sad comment on our society, because to a large extent, most people are turning out to be that way too. If not in thought, at least in action. They may not want to admit it but their actions speak for themselves. I want it now, I want it fast, I want it cheap, and I want it on credit.
"Zat iz verry funny, nein, it is hi-laari-ous, ja"
- Otto von Bismarck
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