Rove makes Akin murder joke

Politico ^ | 8/31/12 9:32 | TIM MAK

[xzins]

In a closed-door fundraiser at the Republican National Convention, Karl Rove reportedly joked about the murder of Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin.

“We should sink Todd Akin. If he’s found mysteriously murdered, don’t look for my whereabouts!” joked Rove, according to a Businessweek report of the fundraiser.

Sheelah Kolhatkar, an editor for Bloomberg Businessweek, was invited to the event as a guest of top Republican donor who was aware she was a journalist. The invite gave her a behind-the-scenes look at the otherwise-private event.

At the event, Rove urged attendees to urge Akin to get out of the race, citing Missouri’s Senate race as a major obstacle to Republicans taking over the Senate.

“We have five people who are interested” in replacing Akin as the Senate candidate, Rove said. “We don’t care who the nominee is, other than get Akin out.”

Rove and other top Republicans called on Akin to leave the race after his controversial comments two weeks ago on “legitimate rape” and his mistaken comment about how conception through rape rarely occurs.

[muawiyah]

I repost the news every chance I get. Ashcroft must have been blinded by those stone tatas on the statuary ~ he went way over to the Dark Side!

[SeminoleCounty]

Where are the calls for Rove to resign???

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Yes. Where are all the Liberal Pro-Abort PhonyCons who were calling for Akin to resign?

Looks like they went back to their Dem Underground hovels

Fox should fire Rove over this. Being ignorant about a crime is one thing....advocating a capital felony on a current House member is criminal.

And, if Rove made such a threat while still in Florida...it is an assault, under state law

[grellis]

Rove—the gift that keeps on giving...to the left

[Red Steel]

Rino Rove is confirming what we thought that the GOPe and the Country Club Rs saw and used the opportunity to kick Akin out the door. Apparently they have failed along with a few Akin haters here.

[StevenFlorida]

Rove isn’t running for the Senate, is he? Nor is Dick Morris, who thinks Akin is a turkey.

[CARDINALRULES]

Well it is proven that Missourians will vote in the widows. Anyone know her views? jk
One worked (Emerson) and the other was a total Epic Fail. That is one political “dynasty” that needs to go away.

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I loved Akin’s new commercial about his 6 second mistake compared to her 6 years.

[Uncle Chip]

A little background for this little dust-up for everybody:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/leading-republicans-urge-schweich-s-late-entry-in-senate-race/article_5de4b3fa-68d2-11e1-a215-001a4bcf6878.html

[P-Marlowe]

I guess we are supposed to forgive Rove for his vile and stupid remarks, but NEVER forgive Akin for his clumsy interview answer?

I'm all in for Akin and I am all out for Romney. If Romney is going to win this election he is going to have to go after the people who don't give a damn about anything but the economy and his fellow travelers on the pro-abortion, pro-homosexual agenda, pro-socialized medicine wing of the Republican party and the disaffected liberals.

Rove needs to go. He won't go. But he needs to go.

Piss be upon him.

[xzins]

Piss be upon him.

He's all wet!

[darrellmaurina]

Regardless of what happens this November, Akin is still a member of the House of Representatives. Isn't threatening a Congressman a crime? If this were a Republican joking about murdering a Democratic Member of Congress, there would be screams and howls for his head... and rightly so.

What is worse?

Akin made a stupid comment about “legitimate rape” when everybody knew he didn't mean to legitimize raping women, and combined it with an uninformed statement about women's biology based on wrong things he was apparently told by pro-life doctors. He immediately apologized.

Rove is making jokes about murdering candidates in his own party for the US Senate. He hasn't apologized, and it's not at all clear he wouldn't like to see somebody “take out” Akin by whatever means necessary.

Read this thread as well:

Akin campaign alleges threats to staff (GOP threats: “their careers might be ruined”)
St. Louis Beacon ^ | 8/28/2012 | Jo Mannies
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2925055/posts

Ten minutes ago I showed my post on Free Republic to a local Democratic candidate for office who laughed and said he's glad to see Republicans fighting each other harder than they're fighting Democrats.

This nonsense needs to stop. I get Rove’s point that Akin’s comment hurt Republicans nationally. I agree. Rove has made his point and given every moderate Republican in the United States the opportunity to put space between him and Akin.

Now let's stop fighting each other and get back to what we're supposed to be doing.

As a master of hardball tactics and pragmatism, I think Rove can understand that.

[P-Marlowe]

“We don’t care who the nominee is, other than get Akin out.”

Yep, it is Anybody but Akin. They don't care if it is McCaskell or some Olympia Snowe clone, they want him out of the picture, even if it means killing him.

[Uncle Chip]

Now let's stop fighting each other and get back to what we're supposed to be doing.

Tell that to Karl Rove.

[xzins]

ABA, Anybody but Akin.

And Rove wants to take him out. Jokingly, of course, but it’s also said serious in the context of taking Akin out in a political sense.

Hope those folks out there don’t confuse the intent.

[darrellmaurina]

112 posted on Fri Aug 31 2012 13:07:54 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by Uncle Chip: “Quoting me: ‘Now let's stop fighting each other and get back to what we're supposed to be doing.’ Tell that to Karl Rove.”

I wish I could tell it to Karl Rove.

Posting this on Free Republic where his staff are likely to see it is the best I can do.

This internal bickering needs to stop. Rove got what he wanted — breathing space for moderate Republicans in difficult races — and I can understand his reasons even if I don't agree with his tactics.

I know full well that what works in Missouri won't work in Massachusetts. Around here in the Ozarks, even the local Democratic Party leaders are generally more conservative than some of the people in the national GOP leadership. I think it's about time that the national GOP understands that what works inside the Beltway in Washington won't necessarily work back in people's home districts back in “flyover land” — and getting to 50-percent-plus-one of the House and the Senate means listening to what works back in the district, not just what sounds good in Washington.

One more thing for any Karl Rove staff members reading this post — Claire McCaskill has made a point of portraying herself as a moderate conservative who, unlike lots of leftwing Democrats, actually listens to rural Missouri. She and the Carnahan family both know that for a Democrat to win in a statewide race, they need to appeal to the older conservative rural voters who one generation ago were still Democrats. Even when Democrats don't win rural counties, if they keep the Republican vote totals down, a Democrat can win by overwhelming dominance of the urban centers and college towns.

Claire McCaskill, Jay Nixon, the Carnahan family, and other Democrats have proven by a record of winning many (though not all) statewide elections that they understand what works in rural Missouri and how to win.

Does Karl Rove?

It would be very unfortunate if the answer is “no.”

[doug from upland]

Why did you ping me to that comment? ---- "We don't care who the nominee is, other than get Akin out."

I am really getting pissed off about being misrepresented here. Apparently my real position does not matter when you circle the wagons. Yes, I want Akin gone. Gone because of the damage he has done to the pro-life movement and damage across the country. He handed the pro-aborts a gift that will keep on giving until November.

I have made it frigging clear --- I want McCasKILL gone. How many times do you need to hear it? I want McCasKILL gone. I want McCasKILL gone. I want McCasKILL gone. My suggestion, which I even discussed on the phone with a member of the Central Committee, was that Akin be allowed to name his replacement --- a pro-life conservative. It is not anyone but Akin. It is an equally committed pro-life conservative who will beat McCasKILL. I don't know any truly pro-life conservative who would find acceptable a replacement who was not both conservative and strongly pro-life.

If you are going to try to pin crap on me for something I didn't say and don't believe, do not ping me. I loathe intellectual dishonesty; from the left as well as from some on our side.

[doug from upland]

Rove is as much of an arrogant *ss as is Akin.

[RichInOC]

Akin effectively told the national party “over my dead body”. He might have been better advised not to give them any ideas.

[P-Marlowe]

I’ve read some very vile comments from freepers who claim to be Christians and claim that because of what Akin said that they “HATE him more than they hate anyone.”

Now we have Rove literally calling for his head on a platter.

The democrats may try to milk Akin’s comments for all they are worth. If I were Akin I would use the comments in my own ads admitting to my mistake and pointing out that the election is not about stupid off the cuff remarks and gotcha soundbites, but about the stupid long term destructive policies that Claire McCaskell has voted for and promoted.

The best way to diffuse a mistake is to accept it and then turn it around. Something like “Really is this race about something stupid I said or is it about the stupid policies of the democrats that have led our nation into this abyss? Which of these issues will affect your future and that the future of your children? My remarks, or McCaskell’s bankrupt policies?”

I would also use Rove’s remarks in my commercials to show that I am an independently minded conservative and not beholden to the GOP-E and/or the Democrats who have collectively brought our nation to the brink of financial ruin.

[doug from upland]

Please take me off your ping list.

[xzins]

Honestly, Doug, and I don’t think I’m unusual, I don’t even joke about murdering anyone. It just doesn’t enter my mind to say such a thing. Rove said this in front of some very well-heeled people.

Apparently they didn’t throw him out.

Reminds me of the scene in Godfather when Kay tells Michael that murderous intrigue doesn’t really happen, that it’s just storybook stuff.

Hope Michael wasn’t in the room with Rove.