Forget Mitt Romney. Karl Rove's Eyes Are on the Senate
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-06/forget-mitt-romney-dot-karl-roves-eyes-are-on-the-senate
As politicians, delegates, and thousands of reporters at the Republican and Democratic conventions obsessed over who will be elected president, a parallel convention of sorts was taking place in hotel dining rooms and private clubs around Tampa and Charlotte. There, party kingmakers met in secret with the wealthy backers who are increasingly driving this election to discuss an equally urgent question: Which party will control the U.S. Senate?
With no real chance of regaining control of the House this year, the Democrats are determined to keep hold of the other half of the Capitol. Their pitch to donors: If the Senate goes to the Republicans, Congress will unite against President Obama in a potential second term. The scarier scenario for Democrats (and one thats especially effective at prying open wallets) is that if Mitt Romney wins the White House, a Republican House and Senate could join with him to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and unravel government regulations. Republican fundraisers employ the same sales technique, only in reverse: Even if Romney wins, a Democratic majority in the Senate would stand in the way of his most ambitious plans. Total control of government is all that matters.
No one makes this case more persuasively than Karl Rove. At a private breakfast briefing in Tampa, Rovethe most powerful unelected Republicantold about 70 of the biggest donors to his American Crossroads super PAC, Weve got to get this done to get Mitt Romney and the Senate, to repeal Obamacare on Day One!
This rare look at the mechanics of fundraising and electoral strategy was not intended for reporters. I was invited as the guest of a financier who is a significant Republican donor. The financier knew I was a journalist. At no point was I presented with, nor did I agree to, restrictions regarding the information I heard. Upon my arrival at the breakfast, I was not asked if I was a journalist. I gave my name, identified the person who had invited me, was handed a wristband and ushered into the dining room. American Crossroads disputes this version of events, but a spokesman declined to comment further.