KARL ROVE PRISON BITCH

IN THE POWER PASSION PLAY now going on in the White House, Karl Rove probably misses somebody like Ari Fleischer who wouldn’t need to get on a ladder to stab him in the back, as Scott McLellan apparently does. Among some of the things in the previously discussed WaPo story today on Rove that The Heretik found odd was that a lot of anonymous middle level White House staffers were upset with Rove about how he treated McLellan.

ROVE CARES about midlevel staffers about as much as the Wicked Witch of the West cared about munchkins. The WaPo piece says Rove has no enemies at the White House, which is hard to believe now knowing the Kool Aid King McLellan is settling scores.  Rove should be careful the next time he passes McLellan. Scottie could jump up and punch Rove in the balls. 

RECENT RELATED HERETIK POST [Animal White House Again]

RECOMMENDED READING
[NY Times] It is I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who is under indictment in the C.I.A. leak case. And it is Karl Rove, President Bush's senior adviser, who remains under investigation. But it is Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, whose credibility is already on trial amid the rough justice of the briefing room.

THE HERETIK NOTES Rove probably did not need to reach down to twist McLellan’ arm too much to get him to cover for him.  No matter how much McLellan protests, his claims for the fat man Rove were fatuous from the start.

McLELLAN AIN’T ALONE on credibility problems. [WaPo] For the first time in his presidency, a majority of Americans question the integrity of President Bush amid growing concerns about the overall direction of the country that have left Bush with record negative ratings on the economy, Iraq and even the war on terrorism, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

On virtually every key measure of presidential character and performance, the new survey found that Bush has never been less popular with the American people. Currently 39 percent approve of the job he is doing as president, while 60 percent now disapprove of his performance in office -- the highest level of disapproval ever recorded for Bush in Post-ABC polls.

THE HERETIK IS STUNNED at how people respond when the bullsh*t hits the fan. Mid level staffers are falling over themselves to dogpile Rove, McLellan is one press briefing away from burrowing up to the basement of candor.  On the way up, Scott might dig past some other sinking numbers.

2%[Shakespeare’s Sister] That’s the percentage of black Americans who support President Bush according to recent polling. So he hardly has anywhere to go but up, and yet I think he may have managed to cut that number in half, during yet another disastrous photo op.

THE HERETIK CAN COUNT the numbers going down, down down in the polls. Bush who pays no attention to polls can count the days left in his term.  Who can Rove count on now? Time in the bunker now must be strange indeed.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE? [Joe Gandelman/The Moderate Voice] So you have to ask yourself: is this a not-so-gentle "Get the hell out of here already and make life easier for the rest of us!" coming from one White House faction (the group that is sick of seeing McClellan guzzle all that Tylenol at the end of the day) or from Bush advisers planting the seeds for Rove's eventual departure?

It SOUNDS like it's coming from one frustrated segment in the White House. The question then becomes: if that's the case, will George Bush be pleased? And, even if that's the case, doesn't this story indicate Mr. Rove's days at the White House could indeed be numbered because he's becoming a highly controversial figure and divisive figure now within the White House itself? And, if that's the case and he stays, what would this say about both a divided White House and its prospects the next few years?

THE HERETIK HOWLS that Rove has screwed the pooch and now payback from the pooch and others will be a bitch.  But is it a bitch for a snitch?

[Jeralyn Merritt/ Talk Left] These news articles along with Fitzgerald's past habits suggest to me that Karl Rove will resign. Either it will be revealed in coming weeks that he made a plea bargain with Fitzgerald to plead guilty to making a false statement to investigators prior to his grand jury testimony in exchange for no jail time and not being charged with perjury before the grand jury, obstruction of justice  or with leaking Valerie Plame Wilson's identity or CIA status -- or he will be indicted and fight because Fitzgerald won't agree to no jail time.

AND THE HERETIK SIGHS Jail is where Karl Rove will know all it means to be a Prison Bitch.

AND WHAT ABOUT SCOTT? [Podhoretz/The Corner] This is the first time ever that a sympathetic word has been published about Scott McClellan, which is tipoff #1 that the story derives from him or his friends. Tipoff #2 is the idea that what's affecting the White House is less the whole leak affair than its effect on Scott McClellan. Yes, I'm sure people are wandering the halls of the Old Executive Office Building, murmuring to each other, "I just can't get any work done because of what's happened to Scott!"

AND THE HERETIK FINDS HIMSELF sharing a laugh with one from the right not so right on so many things(John Podhorror TM).  What is left to him? Ha. Ha, ha. AND THE HERETIK FINDS HIMSELF sharing a laugh with one from the right not so right on so many things.  What is left to him? Ha. Ha, ha.

FROM TODAY’S PRESS GAGGLE [White House transcript]
Q So Rove might leave is part of a, sort of, natural staff turnover?

MR. McCLELLAN: See, this is a question trying to get me to play into all the speculation that's going on, and I'm just not going to do that. But that's why I reiterated the broader points that I've already made to you all earlier this week and those comments remain the same.

Q Well, The Post story, are you - I'm not hearing a denial here.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm telling you I'm not going to get into all the speculation. Karl Rove is the Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President. He continues to carry out his duties. But that's why I pointed out that, in terms of the question came up in the context of any discussion of staff changes, and that's why I reiterated what I said earlier.

Q Any discussion of an apology by him to staff?

MR. McCLELLAN: I've already addressed that question; I don't have anything else to add to it.

THE HERETIK SALUTES McLellan. He is now a player, a player late to the game, but a player nonetheless.  He has nothing to add, but endless suckup middle level White House staff munchkins to do all the adding for him.  Midlevel munchkins, mid level player. 

THE WORDS THAT CHAP THE CHUMP [NY Times] "If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration," he said on Sept. 29, 2003, speaking of how Mr. Bush would deal with any official found to have played a role in leaking classified information - a definition that some Democrats say could now be applied to Mr. Rove.

THE HERETIK NOW CONCLUDES this post.  We return to regular programming, as no doubt likely will McLellan.

Comments

[Shakespeare's Sister]

No matter how much McLellan protests, his claims for the fat man Rove were fatuous from the start.

Ain't that the truth.