Karl Rove Says Florida Will Be 'Ground Zero' in 2004 Election

HeraldTribune.com ^ | 8/13/03 | AP

[NYC Republican]

Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, says Florida will play a crucial role in the president's re-election strategy next year.

Rove, in an interview with editors and reporters of The News Herald of Panama City, said the campaign strategy in Florida would be a combination of "brotherly love" - a reference to the president's younger brother, Gov. Jeb Bush - and an effort to "register, identify and turn out our vote."

"This clearly is going to be ground zero," Rove said in the interview, published in Wednesday's editions. Rove has been vacationing in northwest Florida, where he has been making trips for the past 16 years.

Florida, now with 27 electoral votes, decided the 2000 presidential election and is expected to be a battleground state next year.

Rove said the strategy would not likely change if Florida Sen. Bob Graham was on the Democratic ticket - as the presidential or vice presidential nominee.

"Frankly we're not focused on it," he said.

Rove said the Bush administration understands the frustrations of military families who are anxious for the return of their loved ones in Iraq. But he said the protracted stays of many service members are a result of a military "stretched thin."

"Our military, when it gets into Afghanistan and Iraq, is taxed," he said.

Rove said the administration is committed to the rebuilding of Iraq and hopes by this time next year to have "a country clearly on the road toward a democratic, market-oriented, secular state."

[Libertina]

You seem pretty ticked, and I am sorry to hear of your distress. I am not a veteran, and asked you sincerely for examples of what you believe to be wrong on the President's part. Our service people have gotten a raw deal in the past - I would not like to see it continued... I am, however, waiting for specific examples because you didn't list any.

[mathurine]

Here's one, and President Bush is fully aware of it and evidently does not care. Retired military personnel with service-connected disabilities have whatever disability payments they may be entitled to deducted from their military retirement-- thus essentially paying for their own disability. No other federal retiree has this raw deal. Probably no other retiree has this raw deal. It is a gross injustice, and if President Bush honestly cared at all about veterans he would resolve this injustice. This is not the prattling of just me. Every veterans group has this on the top of the list of injustices. Almost every congressman has signed on in support of corrective legislation. Only the resistance of the President PERSONALLY stands in the way. Mr. Bush is going to pay when payback time comes. I don't know what is the matter with him, but I do intend to be very active politically in my region and state, which has a lot of veterans, and which he carried by a small margin in the last election-- though republicans seldom have. The veterans put him over the top last time, but I think he can kiss it goodby next time. There are numerous other veterans problems and issues, mostly quite precise and resolvable for less money than the President has pledged to pretend to end AIDS in Africa, and if you are interested, check with any veterans organization, or for that matter, with most veterans, and you will get the general drift.

[Libertina]

I am very sorry to hear this, though I find to difficult to believe Bush would personally stand in the way of reforming this problem. He did not create this policy, but it seems he could certainly fix it. I really like my president, but I have disagreements on issues such as borders, environment, political appointees etc. What could I do to help you and other veterans claim the benefits promised to them?