An AP piece yesterday has Karl Rove grinning from ear to ear.
White House political chief Karl Rove said Wednesday that President Bush had just begun to demonstrate the kind of targeted, multi-front campaign he plans against Democratic rival John Kerry.Addressing a small group of conservative activists, Rove assured them that Bush planned a nimble campaign able to counterpunch even before Kerry opens his mouth. The White House adviser pointed with pride to the Bush camp's response Tuesday, when it got word that Kerry planned a national security speech to veterans in West Virginia.
Less than 24 hours after learning of the speech, the Bush campaign produced an ad criticizing Kerry for his Senate votes on military spending. It also dispatched volunteers to hand out pro-Bush material to West Virginians, and started radio ads in the state.
This is starting to have an effect. Kerry's marginal lead a few weeks ago has reversed course. Without enough money, Kerry might never be able to respond to this.
Rove criticized Kerry's vote for the Iraq war and against the $87 billion request for more money. He questioned Kerry's position on military issues. And then the Senator had this to say; via Counterspin Central:
"As I said yesterday about the events in Spain, they cannot become the reason to leave [Iraq]. And I call on Prime Minister [Jose Luis Rodriguez] Zapatero to reconsider his decision and to send a message that terrorists cannot win by their acts of terror."
I guess that negates the argument that John Kerry wants to abandon Iraq.
But the funny part of the AP article is when Rove starts to whine.
Rove complained that Democrats were criticizing Bush for failing to stem joblessness, when the unemployment rate is roughly the same as it was during President Clinton's 1996 run...And he expressed irritation that some disgruntled Republicans in Congress and elsewhere have increasingly chosen to go to the news media to air their complaints, rather than bringing them directly to the White House.
Boo hoo, Karl. At least white collar IT workers had jobs back then. The meager uptick in job numbers doesn't reflect the quality of jobs gained versus jobs lost. A person made more in their IT job then working now as a waiter. And as I said before, what do you expect when your team has no respect for Congress in the first place.