Speculation over whether Karl Rove helped leak CIA Operative Valerie Plame's name or identity to reporters hasn't hurt his popularity among the faithful.
And, at least for one congressman, the controversy is paying early dividends.
A July 19 Washington fund-raiser for Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA), for which Rove has long been scheduled as the featured guest, became a more desireable event as the controvery surrounding Rove grew.
According to event planners, the fund-raiser was originally designed to draw about 40 people, with tickets at $1,000 for general admission and $2,500 to sit at the "VIP Roundtable Discussion" with Gerlach and Rove.
When all was said and done, though, it was believed more than 100 people attended the reception, with all 15 roundtable seats taken. Apparently, if there had been a way to double (or perhaps triple) the size of the roundtable, the event planners would have had no problem finding takers.
"People want to support Jim Gerlach, and people want to support Karl Rove," event organizer Mike Gula told The Suburban and Wayne (Pa.) Times, for a July 21 article.
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Gerlach's media consultant, John Brabender, offered another take on the situation — which sounds a lot more like spin.
"A lot of issues will be discussed about Southeastern Pennsylvania" at the roundtable, Brabender told the newspaper. With Rove present, they know "the information will be taken directly to the White House and shared with President Bush."
Right. That's why people wanted to talk with Karl Rove ...
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This article first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
Or maybe Republicans are just normal human beings - OMG - and want to show Rove that they support him when he's under attack. How evil.
Dave
2 - Mark Hainds
It may be an unpleasant task, and it would certainly take a fair bit of time, but should one choose to examine the tactics, morals, ethics, (choose your descriptor) employed by the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and most obviously, in this Presidential Administration, you would soon find that Karl Rove’s influence is ubiquitous. Rove’s techniques have been so effective that his morals, ethics, and tactics, and those employed by the current Republican leadership, are so intertwined that they have become indistinguishable. Rove is the Republican Party. Thus, the RNC’s Mehlman and other designated spokespeople must defend Karl Rove’s actions and principles. Otherwise, if Rove is indicted, convicted, fired, or disgraced, the pall of defeat and ignominy will hang upon all those who have aligned themselves so closely with the magnificent turd-blossom.
3 - Dave Nalle
Rove is a hired gun. He's just like Carville is for the Democrats. He doesn't make or break the party and he could be fired in a second and no one would bat an eye. The GOP functioned for 100 years before Karl Rove was even born, and it had better, smarter operatives during that time who were doing his job. They could easily find another. If Karl Rove were removed there would be a dozen young, smart Rove types clammoring to take his job.
Dave
4 - David R. Mark
Dave -- the point is that the event planners were expecting 40 people prior to the Rove controversy coming to light, and they wound up with more than 100. Coincidence?
Obviously, the faithful wanted to rally behind their man. That's the point.
There's nothing necessarily wrong with that. But I thought it was worth pointing out. The Republican faithful have their beliefs, and for better or worse, those beliefs should be known.
5 - Dave Nalle
And in this case their belief is that Rove can be trusted and should be supported. And that's a problem because...
Dave
6 - David R. Mark
Did I say it was a problem?
7 - Markus-Sweden Europe
" If Karl Rove were removed there would be a dozen young, smart Rove types clammoring to take his job."
Yeah...but I don't think they would be as "good" as Karl Rove. This is the first time during his 30 active years that he has been caught with his trousers down.
8 - Dave Nalle
But consider all the WORSE people out there who they could bring in. How about Kristol as a replacement for Rove? That would be a nightmare. Actually, I wouldn't mind seing Mehlman in that job. He seems like a pretty good egg.
Dave
9 - Bill Graham
The "who cares if he's a crook, he's a winner" in business and politics is the kind of natural human nature that systems should discourage.
It is merely unprincipled. As to William Kristol, Gertrude Himmelfarb's son, is he advocate of her Ayn Randism?
10 - Dave Nalle
That's not actually what I said, but you do have a point, Bill. In politics you sometimes need someone who fights dirty, but then you need to be prepared to dump them when the time comes.
As for Kristol and Ayn Rand, I'd certainly believe he still subscribes to those beliefs, and I'd want that in a position of power about as much as a scientologist.
Dave
11 - L.Ost
NAKED TICKLER STRIKES AGAIN
Washington.DC -- Police are on the lookout for the naked tickler.
Investigators said they believe a Washington official with the initials KR could be responsible for a series of bizarre break-ins in which a naked little fat man enters victims' rooms while they are sleeping and tries to tickle their feet.
If the victim wakes up, he wispers, "Democrats are really little green men from Mars." One victim said, "I swear there was only flames where the eyes should be."
The naked tickler struck again in Foggy Bottom over the weekend.
Investigators have been working on five similar, unsolved cases since 2001. There seems to be a pattern of tickling whenever the Republican party urgently needs to recover from a blatant lie.
An anonymous expert in Voodoo and Black Arts has advised us the "tickler" ploy is to scrape of dirt from the bottom of a Virgin's foot, which must be done while naked, to perform magic spells for deciving the public.
12 - tickling
I know this is nothing to do in this forum but I always find myself reading at your messages in here. I found myself that I'm loving it like I love tickling. So now I am always here and posting what I can feel about this site, its good isn't it?