Norquist: Rove's "in fine fettle, not wounded, pricked enough to be angry"

[Human Torch]

Rove's legal jeopardy had hung over the White House for many months as his colleagues contemplated life in the West Wing without him. Some Republican advisers outside the White House had long worried that Rove's problems were distracting him and had led to setbacks that might have been avoided if he were more fully engaged, such as the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers or the battle over the Dubai port deal.

"The other team thought they'd sacked the quarterback, and even if he came back he'd limp anyway," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a Rove confidant, who had lunch with him yesterday. "Now he's back -- no limp." Switching metaphors, Norquist compared Rove to a bull that has been poked but not killed. "Not only is he in fine fettle, not only is he not wounded, he's pricked enough to be angry."

Rove tried to play down his own development. Having flown back to Washington on Monday night from a New Hampshire speech accusing Democrats of wanting to cut and run in Iraq, he showed up at the White House in time to run yesterday's 7:30 a.m. senior staff meeting, since Bolten was in Iraq with Bush. As he went around the table soliciting updates on various issues, he made no mention of his legal case, nor did anyone else, according to several people in the room. Norquist said it did not come up during their lunch in the West Wing mess, either, as they discussed property rights. But Norquist said he did notice aides offering congratulations to Rove as they walked through the halls of the building.

Whether or not he had been distracted before, Rove can focus his attention entirely on the fall midterm elections, which are critical to the remainder of Bush's presidency. Norquist said he believes that after beating his legal woes, Rove will want to demonstrate that he is still "the toughest guy on the block." If Republicans hold onto both houses, then Bush aides figure they have another chance to advance key priorities and shape his legacy. If Democrats win the House, then the final two years of Bush's administration could be spent fighting rear-guard actions.

:silly:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13306316/page/2/

[Ecumenist]

1. Fuck Rove, Norquist and the Damn Donkey they rode in on.. NM

[Eurobabe]

2. He's PRICKED alright.

[necso]

3. I believe the "prick" part. /nt

[grasswire]

4. let me get this straight

The man leaked the identity of a covert agent and helped to destroy a CIA operation built over many years for the purpose of monitoring the movements of nuclear materials in the Middle East, was asked to testify about his involvement in this treasonous activity, and HE's PRICKED ENOUGH TO BE ANGRY????!!!???

Outrageous. Just outrageous.

Take him down, Fitz. Take him down if you can.

[Human Torch]

6. A nice quote from Salon:

They have an article on why a lack of a Rove indictment may be a "good" thing. I had an immediate negative reaction to the premise, but hung in there long enough to read the punchline:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/06/14/rove/

A few Democrats theorized that criminal prosecution of Rove might strengthen the "culture of corruption" argument that was once central to efforts to win back the House. But as the recent special election in California showed (where Democrats could not even win the House seat of a Republican who went to prison for bribery) the ethics issue is not an automatic vote-getter. Moreover, Rove is a bit like defrocked House leader Tom DeLay -- revered by Republicans, reviled by Democrats and largely unknown to swing voters.

Moreover, the notion may be heresy in political circles, but there are recent indications that Rove may not be the greatest political chess player since Metternich remade the map of Europe after the Napoleonic wars.

Rove was not exactly doing hard time on a federal rock pile when Bush's popularity plunged to around 35 percent. It was Rove's handiwork to make Social Security privatization the signature issue of Bush's second term. The disastrous fate of that political gambit, combined with the Iraq war, turned Bush into a lame-duck president before his time. As a political strategist, Rove runs the gamut of issues from A (national security) to B (tax cuts). Six years into his tenure in the White House, Rove may be running on empty, just like the president whom he serves.

Fitzgerald, by not indicting Rove, may have saved the Democrats from getting too caught up in the politics of vengeance. There was always an analogy to Madame Defarge sitting by the guillotine knitting in the way that Bush haters reveled in every unreliable rumor about a Rove indictment. Vendettas may be emotionally satisfying, but they rarely provide a formula for winning elections. In fact, the best way to get back at Rove is not through criminal prosecution but by forcing him to read an Election Night speech conceding that the Democrats have won back Congress.

:patriot:

[kainah]

5. Norquist had lunch with Rove today

and the subject didn't even come up????? That seems less than credible. Or is Norquist such a disgusting prick that when a friend of his learns that he is not immediately at risk of possibly going to jail, he doesn't even say "congratulations"?

[eviltwin2525]

7. sooooo....

Rove is a pissy prick. This is not news.

[eviltwin2525]

8. sooooo....

Rove is a pissy prick. This is not news.

[rooboy]

9. Angry enough to make a mistake... n/t

[Human Torch]

10. I think that's what Salon is hinting at (see #6 above) n/t

[DemNoir]

11. Oh yeah

He was such a nice guy, fair fighter and vicious democrats turned him mean!

[leveymg]

12. The idea of an angry Rove is about as frightening as an

armed blimp.

[niceypoo]

13. Rove has been a disaster for Bush

His administration is a smoldering wreck

[VaYallaDawg]

14. Doesn't the term "unindicted co-conspirator" ring a bell???