Yep! More Rove Madness

Rick Horowitz over at Unspun™: Believe It…Or Not sees the Karl Rove incident as just another example of the Bush Administration's dismantling of the Republic. Following the same old tired illogic of "who benefits", he rants on the various and sundry sins of the President against the nation. First, of course, we need to understand that we plebians have been lied to:

This is what you’re supposed to believe.

Although all evidence points to Karl Rove as “The Leak” who outed a CIA agent in the run-up to a war — and although there have been repeated rumors of Rove’s affinity for “dirty tricks” like planting a bug in his own office and claiming his opponent did it — you are to believe this:

1. Karl Rove did not speak the woman’s name when he confirmed to Robert Novak that she was a CIA agent. Oh — excuse me — when he confirmed that he “heard” she was a CIA agent.
2. Karl Rove didn’t actually tell this to reporters; he heard about the story from reporters. And it’s just a coincidence that at least one of those reporters (Novak) was apparently asking Rove for confirmation.

Then, just in case we're too dense or jaded, Mr. Horowitz has to spell it out for us:

Has anyone stopped to consider that even if this was true it doesn’t excuse Rove? When a journalist calls someone from the President’s inner circle and says, “Hey, I heard that so-and-so was a CIA operative” and the President’s man says, “Yeah, I heard that, too,” is that not still violating the law? Remember, among other things, that at that point there was no public story, no awareness of anyone who was not legitimately supposed to know, that Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent. So even if this were true — and I don’t think it is myself — Rove’s confirmation of it to Novak was a wrongful and illegal act. Forget the coincidence that Rove had this confirmation with Novak, just coincidentally, at a time when Bush really needed to send a message to those who would challenge his Administration.

Well, I'm glad he straightened that one out for us. I guess we can close the investigation down and just march Rove right to his cell. No need for a trial after all, or even the filing of charges! Mr. Horowitz has already determined that Mr. Rove has violated federal law. How efficient! Maybe we don't need a judicial system. We can just bring our grievances and allegations to the throne of his mighty legal wisdom.

Not content with dispensing justice from his internet perch, Mr. Horowitz then goes on to assail the Administration for it's various and sundry sins against the country:

The thing that provides me such morbid fascination about the Bush Regime is not actually so much what they’re doing — they successfully shredded the Constitution and turned the government into their own corporate toy at least two or three years ago — what really amazes me is how predictable the evolution of their activities is.

Something “bad” happens. You know, someone accuses Senator McCain of fathering a black baby, which torpedoes his campaign against Bush; someone denigrates Kerry’s war-time activities with lies and innuendo and, when that doesn’t work well enough by itself, they decide that “he’s wooden” works just as well; or maybe someone starts a war for the wrong reason, lies to the American public; or outs a CIA agent
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Nearly always, though, there’s some variation of: “We weren’t involved in this. Someone else did it/started it/said it. We just happen to be the beneficiaries of every such act.” It’s coincidental, don’t you see?

When someone was sending letters to everyone in Arkansas and West Virginia saying that liberals were going to ban the Bible if Kerry was elected, that wasn’t Republicans…well, at first. Later, they admitted it, but never apologized.

In June 2004, the Bush campaign created a web video with images of Hitler, Gore, Dean, Kerry and others. They did this, supposedly, because MoveOn.org — they thought — had created a video splicing together Hitler’s and Bush’s images. One problem: MoveOn didn’t do that. Someone submitted it to a contest at MoveOn. Once MoveOn discovered it, they removed the ad, stating it was in poor taste. The Bush campaign never did apologize for having taken the step of creating a similar ad of their own. So, on the one hand, you have some individual submitting a tasteless ad to a contest; on the other, you have the Bush campaign doing one up themselves.

In the Swift Boat Veterans affair, the White House denied any connection. When it was proven beyond a doubt that White House officials were involved — and not until it was proven beyond a doubt, although they must have known something sooner — two of Bush’s staff were sacrificed.

Republicans have repeatedly tried to keep black voters from voting. But there’s no story there — and not because there’s no story there, but because no one wants to print it or read it.

Yeah, that's it. Bush is just an opportunist that's willing to deny Americans their natural rights just because they might vote for the other guy. Bush courts liars so that it enhances his reputation. Bush lies to the nation to justify an invasion of Iraq. Bush paints his opposition in Hitler's colors. Yadayadayada. Of course, Mr. Horowitz wants us to know it's only for our good. After all, he's the vanguard of information for we plebians:

First the watchdogs — that would be people like me and other “liberals” — get the story and start to run with it. The White House (and this is actually a smart move) waits to see what, if any, reaction from the people who really matter to them — “average” Americans — begins to brew.

Of course, he sites sources that themselves disclose their notes, such as the People for the American Way's report on Republican Jim Crowism. He totally mischaracterizes the Swift Vote Veteran's accusations against Senator John Kerry. He fails to mention that MoveOn.org only removed the video that portrayed Bush as Hitler after massive criticism from all quarters, and the possibility that it could impugne Senator Kerry's campaign. Many Democrats either indulged in Bush=Hitler rhetoric or did not condemn it when others used it. But none of that matters, because he's the "watchdog" and he just wants us publicans to know we're being lied to!

Honestly, why can't we trust the system we've put in place? Our republic has survived the dictatorial tactics of John Adams, the corruption of Grant and Harding, four presidential assasinations and a Civil War. If opponents of the President disagree with the Administration's policies, they only have to wait until 2008 to elect someone that's more their kind of President. The out-of-control, sky-is-falling rhetoric only turns off swing voters such as myself. Believe me, we pride ourselves on our independence; trying to manipulate us with smoke-and-mirror rhetoric and hyperbole will not earn our vote. Let the investigation play itself out. If Mr. Rove violated the law, he should be dismissed from the White House and then prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. If he did not violate the law, then he should remain, and whoever's responsible for the leak of Valery Plame's identity as a CIA operative should face justice. Seeing rising dictatorships in an opponent because one disagrees with that leader's policies is childish and undemocratic. I'm interested in living in a Republic, not an earthly paradise run by Utopian Messiahs, whether of the religious or secular bent. May the Reasonable pundits like Mr. Horowitz understand this soon, so that Fools like us can enjoy some peace and quiet!