Rove: Kerry Has Taste Of Bush Campaign

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-17-2004 | Scott Lindlaw

[blam]

Rove: Kerry Has Taste of Bush Campaign

Wednesday March 17, 2004 11:01 PM

By SCOTT LINDLAW

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - White House political chief Karl Rove said Wednesday that President Bush had just begun to demonstrate the kind of targeted, multi-front campaign he plans against Democratic rival John Kerry.

Addressing a small group of conservative activists, Rove assured them that Bush planned a nimble campaign able to counterpunch even before Kerry opens his mouth. The White House adviser pointed with pride to the Bush camp's response Tuesday, when it got word that Kerry planned a national security speech to veterans in West Virginia.

Less than 24 hours after learning of the speech, the Bush campaign produced an ad criticizing Kerry for his Senate votes on military spending. It also dispatched volunteers to hand out pro-Bush material to West Virginians, and started radio ads in the state.

The Bush campaign has material read to go on Kerry based on his votes and speeches, said a Republican who attended the session. Whenever Kerry raises an issue, the Bush-Cheney campaign will be prepared to hand out leaflets, and run ads on TV and radio.

Kerry's vote authorizing force in Iraq, and on an array of military issues, put him ``in a box'' on the Iraq war, minimizing his ability to criticize Bush, Rove told the conservatives in the private meeting. In Rove's judgment, Kerry hurt himself by calling on one-time Democratic rival Howard Dean to voice support for him. Dean was a fierce critic of the Iraq war, but most Americans outside the Beltway back Bush on national security issues, Rove said.

Rove complained that Democrats were criticizing Bush for failing to stem joblessness, when the unemployment rate is roughly the same as it was during President Clinton's 1996 run. Unemployment in February of this year was 5.6 percent; in February 1996, it was 5.5 percent.

He also said the gay marriage issue is beginning to help Bush, because polls are starting to shift in Bush's direction, with more people opposed to same-sex unions. But Rove implored the activists to add their voices to Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to ensure that Bush is not perceived as standing alone on the issue.

And he expressed irritation that some disgruntled Republicans in Congress and elsewhere have increasingly chosen to go to the news media to air their complaints, rather than bringing them directly to the White House.

[Pharmer]

"Karl Rove got the hat trick in the DemoncRAT primaries by letting them take down Dean"

Rove has not had to deal with a real zealot as was Dean. With Kerry, as with all previous presidential candidates, the road the the White House is NOT through congress, especialy through the Senate. The paper trail is too long with no executive experience. Dean was a governor, he had to be taken out. Kerry is the candidate they thought they were getting in Gore. What they forgot was that Gore was an assistant CEO, the same thing the Dems forgot about Bush 41. But I might add that Bush 41 proved that he had never been truely top dog in anything like his 2 sons and in the end was his downfall.

[Lady Jag]

LOOK!

[Loyal Buckeye]

Rove can't generate ads fast enough to counter all of Flip-flop's accusations and to publicize all of his gaffes.

[deport]

Agree..... but it will only take so many as the populace begins to understand the Ketchup boy in detail......

[cksharks]

john mccain and his twin idiot in waiting. lugar and the twin stupids from main. even hatch is becoming an asshole.

[doug9732]

Karl Rove should be fired for very nearly sinking the President with his immigration fiasco. The man is an overly clever political menace.

[Go Gordon]

Cheney is a master at cutting you in two before you even notice the blade.... :-)

We should give Cheyney the nickname "Ghurka"

[Monti Cello]

I think the best possible outcome would be for the media to keep propping up Kerry and the hopes of the libs, only to get a surprise landslide smackdown, a la 1994.

In the wake of such an event some libs would get dispirited, some would absolutely ape-whacko to a whole new degree.

This might kick off a bloodletting/feedback process for the Dems they might not recover from as a party. The freaks will get more freaky and scare off the moderates. They will try unprecedented monkeywrenching of the gov't through illegitmate avenues, and really offend the mainstream. P>The Dems would be looking at defeat to their worst enemy ever, and facing no sign of control in any branch of gov't for at least 4 years, and maybe much longer. Wishful thinking...but hey!

[McGavin999]

McAwful made a terrible error in pushing up the primaries. Their candidate got a lot of free publicity, but it is way to far ahead of the elections. Now that he's secured the nomination, there is no more reason to cover him. It's going to be dull, dull, dull and the media is going to drop off.

It also puts a weak candidate into the spotlight for too long.

McAwful has been the republican's best friend.

[HardStarboard]

>>>True - Cheney is a master at cutting you in two before you even notice the blade.... :-) <<<

Reminds me of the old: Ha! You missed! and the reply: Try turning your head.

Cheney is a powerhouse - people listen to what he says because he has such a calm commanding presence.

Pray for his strong heart!

[nutmeg]

This story is Drudge's big headliner at the moment...

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Go Gordon]

This might kick off a bloodletting/feedback process for the Dems they might not recover from as a party.

It will lead them to beg Hillary to step up in 08'. When she loses in 08', the RAT party will finally be rid of the Clintons.

[JTG]

Lieberman with integrity? I think that Dean would have made a better president than Kerry or Lieberman, personally. And that's just because he balanced budgets. He angered the left wing so much in Vermont that they ran a Progressive Party candidate against him in 2000, and the guy took 10% of the vote. Dean almost lost because of it. True, Dean ran as a leftist in the primaries, but Dean was no leftist. He just had a big mouth, but he was basically a centrist.

[deport]

Karl Rove should be fired for very nearly sinking the President with his immigration fiasco. The man is an overly clever political menace.

---

I'm sure his employer will do as he sees fit should Rove not fulfill his expectations.... Up till then I doubt Rove is in much danger of losing his job, just a guess on my part.

[veronica]

Heh heh. Rove comes out swinging!

[B Knotts]

It's early yet, but I think Kerry is going to make Michael Dukakis look like a good candidate.

[uncbob]

Karl Rove got the hat trick in the DemoncRAT primaries by letting them take down Dean

Dean did a good job of taking himself down

He didn't need permission from Rove

[sinkspur]

Karl Rove should be fired for very nearly sinking the President with his immigration fiasco

That's Bush, not Rove. Bush believes in doing something about illegal immigration.

Rove absolutely should NOT be fired.

[Darlin']

The Bush team are masters at giving their opponents enough space to self destruct.

[Libertina]

BUMP I'm excited whenever I see the R's using the intelligence and guts that I know they have. Keep it up, people! Good work :)