Rove exorcises ex-Hillary office, book says

Karl Rove says he's not The Exorcist.

Rove, the Bush political shaman Democrats love to demonize, enlisted a trio of clergymen to exorcize Hillary Rodham Clinton's left-wing spirit when he moved into her West Wing office in 2001, according to an unflattering new biography.

"I talked to Karl; he said it's not true and, beyond that, he will have no comment," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Clinton smiled and shook her head in disbelief yesterday when asked about the tale, which appears in "The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power," by James Moore and Wayne Slater.

"I'm speechless," she finally said, heading toward a Senate elevator.

Later, Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines quipped, "If the story is true ... they sure did exorcize any lingering competence right out of the building."

Deal Hudson, a former Fordham University professor Rove enlisted to woo Catholic voters, told the authors that he witnessed the exorcism, which he described as "an actual liturgical ceremony."

He did not return a message seeking comment.

Deal Hudson, a former Fordham University professor Rove enlisted to woo Catholic voters, told the authors that he witnessed the exorcism, which he described as "an actual liturgical ceremony."

I am curious what "actual liturgical ceremony" was allegedly performed. The standard Catholic exorcism ritual is of course for people, not buildings.

Incidentally, this reminds me of this incident:

Francis X. Clines, "White House Plays Down a New Age Visitor", New York Times, June 24, 1996

A new book has caused a stir with its detailed descriptions of White House visits to Hillary Rodham Clinton by a New Age psychologist, but President Clinton's spokesman said today that the meetings were nothing more than "a brainstorming session" for the First Lady's book-writing project. "Nothing mysterious here," said Michael D. McCurry, the White House press secretary, commenting on a detailed account of one meeting in which the psychologist, Dr. Jean Houston, proposed that Mrs. Clinton imagine morale-building conversations with famous figures she admires, including Eleanor Roosevelt. She did so, Mr. McCurry said, as "a graceful First Lady who enjoys listening to women with ideas and perspective that differ from her own." Two White House meetings with Dr. Houston are described in a new book about the 1996 Presidential campaign by Bob Woodward, an assistant managing editor and investigative reporter for The Washington Post, which devoted two front-page articles today to the book. Newsweek magazine, which is also promoting the book, "The Choice" (Simon & Schuster), characterized the visits as seances, a term that Mr. McCurry criticized as far from factual.

SNIP

Dr. Houston has described herself as a "sacred psychologist" and "global midwife" who in 30 years of research, world travels and practice has studied trances, hypnosis and drugs as tools of therapy. The Woodward book stresses that none of these were employed in the White House visits, only self-help conversation.

SNIP

Present at the session with Dr. Houston was Mary Catherine Bateson, an anthropologist, who considered the meeting "a kind of meditation, reflection or even prayer," according to the Woodward book. A similar self-help lesson was attempted in imagining guidance from another of Mrs. Clinton's heroes, Mahatma Gandhi, the book said, but the First Lady drew the line at a suggestion that she imagine a conversation with Jesus, saying such an exercise would be too private.

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