Routing Rove
| photo: Charles Ommanney for Newsweek |
THE math guy blew it. However, he had lots of help.
How did the man they call Bush's brain get it so wrong?
The Architect's
Faulty Specs
Rove believed in his metrics. He miscalculated. How did Bush's guru get the
numbers so wrong?
Everyone is talking about why Bush didn't fire Rummy earlier, perhaps before
the election when it could have supposedly helped him and the Republicans. The
answer is very simple. Bush never believed he would lose. Karl had THE math,
remember?
But he also had a party who had collapsed in on itself morally, politically
and in execution. They were exposed.
But for those who’ve been sickened by the Bush-Rove brand of politics,
surely the happiest result of 2006 was saved for last: Jim Webb’s ousting
of Senator George Allen in Virginia. It is all too fitting that this race
would be the one that put the Democrats over the top in the Senate. Mr. Allen
was the slickest form of Bush-Rove conservative, complete with a strategist
who’d helped orchestrate the Swift Boating of John Kerry. Mr. Allen
was on a fast track to carry that banner into the White House once Mr. Bush
was gone. His demise was so sudden and so unlikely that it seems like a fairy
tale come true. …2006:
The Year of the 'Macaca', by Frank Rich
The permanent Republican majority Karl & Co. dreamed about is gone, relegated
to the dust bin of history. They'll have to start all over now, but to resurrect
themselves they'll also have to cut themselves off from the religious right-wing
teat that gives them their sustenance and many of their victories.
Democrats won a huge victory on Tuesday. Right now Rove, Bush and the whole
bunch are trying to figure out what the hell happened and what to do next to
save Bush's presidency. However, Democrats are thinking about action. First
stop, Iraq.
Bring on the Baker-Hamilton report findings. Let's get busy doing what we'd do anyway even without their cover. Because if you think they'll have some miracle plan you're as delusion as Rove.
Enter Senator Lieberman stage right, the \”Independent Democrat.\”
Democrats will hold a 51-49 edge in the Senate, so Lieberman, the Democratic
nominee for vice president in 2000, could find himself courted by Republicans.He was asked about a scenario in which he might become uncomfortable as Democrats
sought to enforce party discipline and then the GOP offered to keep him as
a committee chairman and respect his seniority if he switched.\”I'm not ruling it out, but I hope I don't get to that point. And, and
I must say, and with all respect to the Republicans who supported me in Connecticut,
nobody ever said, `We're doing this because we, we want you to switch over,'\”
he said.
On the conference call with Majority Leader Harry Reid this past week, he said he
would not \”punish\” Lieberman, because Democrats want him to caucus
with them. Reid is taking the Senate majority seriously and wants to get something
done. I don't trust Lieberman, who does? But if he plots for escalation
on Iraq, all bets are off. That's the line in the sand we cannot cross no matter
the consequences. Reid is tough and we haven't seen what he can do with real power. The pressure is on. We're about to see just what a former boxer as majority leader can do.
Let's hope it doesn't come down to a battle with the blogs.
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