News & Politics - Karl Rove (Bush Strategist) Says Democrats Don't Understand Post 9/11 World

ceilirose · 06-23-2005, 10:37 AM

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8324598/

Quote:

Rove: Dems don't understand post-9/11 world
Bush adviser suggests Dems wanted to 'offer therapy' to attackers
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:41 a.m. ET June 23, 2005

NEW YORK - Speaking in a ballroom just a few miles north of ground zero, Karl Rove said the Democratic party did not understand the consequences of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers,” Rove said Wednesday night. “Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war.”

Rove, President Bush’s chief political adviser, spoke at the state Conservative Party’s annual dinner. He praised the conservative movement’s success, calling it “the guiding philosophy for the White House, the Senate, the House.”

Rove said the Democratic Party made the mistake of calling for “moderation and restraint” after the terrorist attacks.

“Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said we must understand our enemies.”

Rove also denounced Sen. Dick Durbin’s comments comparing interrogation at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to the methods of Nazis and other repressive regimes. He said the statements have been broadcast throughout the Middle East, putting American troops in greater danger. Durbin has since apologized for the remarks.

“No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals,” Rove said.

Therapy? Now that's a new one..I wonder if Rove can provide back up for his accusations.

Coming off the Durbin controversy last week and keeping line with recent trends the leader of the Senate Democrats (Harry Reid) has asked for an apology:

Quote:

“I am deeply disturbed and disappointed that the Bush White House would continue to use the national tragedy of September 11th to try and divide the country. The lesson our country learned on that terrible morning is that we are strongest when we unite together, that America’s power is in its common spirit of democracy and freedom.

“Karl Rove should immediately and fully apologize for his remarks or he should resign. The lesson of September 11th is not different for conservatives, liberals or moderates. It is equally shared and was repeatedly demonstrated in the weeks and months following this tragedy as Americans of all backgrounds and their elected representatives rallied behind the victims and their families, united in our common determination to bring to justice those responsible for these terrible attacks.

“It is time to stop using September 11th as a political wedge issue. Dividing our country for political gain is an insult to all Americans and to the common memory we all carry with us from that day. When it comes to standing up to terrorists, there are no Republicans or Democrats, only Americans. The Administration should be focused on uniting Americans behind our troops and providing them a strategy for success in the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq. I hope the president will join me in repudiating these remarks and urge Mr. Rove to take appropriate action to right this terrible wrong.”

True to form the WH is defending Rove's remarks:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...a090505D35.DTL

Quote:

The White House defended Rove's remarks and accused Democrats of engaging in partisan attacks. Rove, said spokesman Scott McClellan, "was talking about the different philosophies and our different approaches when it comes to winning the war on terrorism."

Milt Palacio · 06-23-2005, 01:50 PM

Rove is an a**hole. Anything that exposes him for what he is is a good thing. I love that Republicans have to use the "Democrats support the terrorists" card whenever they are desparate.

Also, after what he did to Max Cleland in the 2002 elections, Senator Johnny Isaakson should be in prison.

Lexis · 06-23-2005, 02:22 PM

Disgusting. This man is disgrace.

ceilirose · 06-23-2005, 02:36 PM

Just picked this up - it seems that the RNC has responded to those Democrats who have criticized Rove:

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=49356

So it was a plan or orchestrated set up to have Rove spew this stuff to get back at that evil Senator Durbin or somebody. Yikes..they're dragging out comments by Soros and Moore.

But at the end of the day Bush's poll numbers (at least for now) are 20% lower than Clinton's during the impeachment, the economy is a mess, we're at record debt and health care affordability for Americans with jobs is getting more unaffordable.

One more thing - General Abazaid said today that the insurgency has grown in Iraq over the last six months. Now what was that Cheney was saying about the insurgency being in it's last throes?

I'd say the WH has some work to do on the real issues that affect this country rather than this crap.

TokyoNiGHTS · 06-24-2005, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Liberals saw what happened to us and said we must understand our enemies.

Isn't that what you're suppose to do? Understand them and what they're about so you know how to go at them the right way if you do attack? If you don't you end up in the situation we're in now. Where our own president doesn't even know why we're at war.

ceilirose · 06-24-2005, 04:06 AM

This guy named Dan Barlett from the WH Communications Office is now on The Tiday Show saying that Rove was only talking about extremist groups/people like moveon.org and Michael Moore. All with a *#*@ faced grin on his face.

I don't know why it's such a bad thing to understand why the terrorists hate this country either. It's much more than 'they hate us for our freedoms" rheotoric.

TokyoNiGHTS · 06-24-2005, 04:38 AM

If that's what he meant then perhaps he should've said that then. But that's not what he meant, he was grouping all liberals together to try to make a point with impact. Lets see if he can actually step up and apologize for what he said, or if he's going to sit around and let others try to repaint a picture of what he meant.

I just saw that Dan Barlett guy in CNN. He ended by saying that "We can all agree now that terrorist have made Iraq a central part of the war on terror". Well ofcourse they have. If you attack any country like that you're going to get and outpouring of hate and people fighting against you.

Lexis · 06-24-2005, 05:53 AM

Quote:

As families whose relatives were victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, we believe it is an outrage that any Democrat, any Republican, any conservative or any liberal, stakes a "high ground" position based upon the September 11th death and destruction. Doing so assumes that all those who died and their loved ones would agree. In truth, some would and some would not. By definition the conduct is divisive and, because it is intended to be self-serving and politicizes 9/11, it is offensive.
We are calling on Karl Rove to resist his temptations and stop trying to reap political gain in the tragic misfortune of others. His comments are not welcome.

http://www.familiesofseptember11.org/default.aspx

Milt Palacio · 06-24-2005, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceilirose

This guy named Dan Barlett from the WH Communications Office is now on The Tiday Show saying that Rove was only talking about extremist groups/people like moveon.org and Michael Moore.

I would love to know how Moveon.org is an extremist group. Can someone explain that to me? Where do they get this crap?

UnsilentMajorty · 06-24-2005, 02:10 PM

This country is under psuedo-Facist rule... Only a lot of people on this board aren't experiened enough to really know what that means until it becomes too late... Nor do they really care if we're going to be brutally honest as long as bombs aren't going off in their streets and their children can't even go to school out of fear of being killed, I.E. Iraq in its current form.

I believe the day is coming when there will not be two parties... Only the Republican party and the "with us, or against us" rhetoric backed by the so-called Neo Religious rhetoric. Remind anyone of another country that was one party under one fanatical dicator that tried to take over the world? I also believe the U.S. wants to dissolve the U.N. and any other checks and balances that would stop us from ruling the world -- All in the name of "freedom" and "democracy". Since when did these things become bad words?!

This is not the America I grew up in and it is slowly dieing a painful, perverted -- in every sense of the word -- Death to fatten the pocketbooks of wealthy corporations, I.E. Haliburton and others, that need wars and other events to thrive and increase their bottom lines. An entire generation... The one a majority of posters on this board belong to... Is being torn apart for a senseless war that didn't have to happen.

As for Karl Rove, the guy is an a**hole who uses people's base instincts, that is, fear, to divide and conquer them. He is nothing but a glorified Huckster trying to justify his third-rate scare tactics in the name of "moral rightousness". Makes me sick.

WalkingOnSunshine · 06-24-2005, 11:25 PM

I'm quite surprised, though not shocked, at the quick Democratic response to Rove's comments. We have several Democrats jumping in line to speak out against Rove for his comments against liberals & their response about 9/11. However, just last week when Durbin compared the US soliders at Gitmo to the Nazis, Soviets and Pol Pot - not a word was spoken from the majority of the Democratic Party. Yet, when Rove questioned Liberals and their response - it was a firestorm of response and accustations to be thrown. Funny I thought the Democrats had almost lost their voice when they ignored Durbin's statements about the troops' actions. When their actions were questioned however, they were heard loud and clear.

TokyoNiGHTS · 06-24-2005, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkingOnSunshine

I'm quite surprised, though not shocked, at the quick Democratic response to Rove's comments.

How is this any different from how Republicans are just sitting twiddling their thumbs at what Rove said, while they were up in arms over what Durban said?

ceilirose · 06-25-2005, 02:36 AM

The most bizarre part of Rove's speech is that liberals called for therapy for the terrorists. I think that he should provide backup for that statement and Mehlman's rather strange press release in defense of Rove doesn't really prove that either. All it did was bring out the usual people that the Republicans/Conservatives demonize in order to prove their points.

Because Bush's poll numbers are so low and some Republicans are criticizing him on Iraq then I think we'll be getting more shrill rheotoric from the WH in the next few weeks.

So besides getting New Yorkers upset at him I heard last night that psychiatrists/psychologists aren't real happy with him as well for the dismissive way he used the word therapy. Maybe he and Tom Cruise have been comparing notes.

ETA - Tom DeLay agreed with everything Karl Rove said in his speech. What a surprise!

-Kelly- · 06-25-2005, 05:35 AM

He sounds stupid to me.

Lexis · 06-25-2005, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkingOnSunshine

I'm quite surprised, though not shocked, at the quick Democratic response to Rove's comments. We have several Democrats jumping in line to speak out against Rove for his comments against liberals & their response about 9/11. However, just last week when Durbin compared the US soliders at Gitmo to the Nazis, Soviets and Pol Pot - not a word was spoken from the majority of the Democratic Party. Yet, when Rove questioned Liberals and their response - it was a firestorm of response and accustations to be thrown. Funny I thought the Democrats had almost lost their voice when they ignored Durbin's statements about the troops' actions. When their actions were questioned however, they were heard loud and clear.

To me, Durbin was quesitoning the Guantanamo situation, albeit somewhat clumsily and using inappropriate language. He was wrong but his words were also twisted as we discussed in the other thread.

Here, Rove was using one of the greatest tragedies in American history to try and pretend that liberals wanted to cuddle up to terrorists and it was only the conservatives that wanted to protect America. This is a lie - no other way to take it. Its also offensive, not only to liberals but to all those who lost people on 9/11 (see my earlier post for their reactions).

Also, it demeans the service of the thousands of Democrats in the armed forces who defend their country every day.

It seem in Rove's twisted little world, their sacrafice doesn't matter.

9/11 should not be exploited for political purposes.


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