The White House Misfires on Limbaugh-By KARL ROVE

[kpete]

The White House Misfires on Limbaugh

By KARL ROVE

Presidents throughout history have kept lists of political foes. But the Obama White House is the first I am aware of to pick targets based on polls. Even Richard Nixon didn't focus-group his enemies list.

Team Obama -- aided by Clintonistas Paul Begala, James Carville and Stanley Greenberg -- decided to attack Rush Limbaugh after poring over opinion research. White House senior adviser David Axelrod explicitly authorized the assault. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel assigned a White House official to coordinate the push. And Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gleefully punched the launch button at his podium, suckering the White House press corps into dropping what they were doing to get Mr. Limbaugh.

Was it smart politics and good policy? No. For one thing, it gave the lie to Barack Obama's talk about ending "the political strategy that's been all about division" and "the score-keeping and the name-calling." The West Wing looked populated by petulant teenagers intent on taking down a popular rival. Such talk also shortens the president's honeymoon by making him look like a street-fighting Chicago pol instead of an inspirational, unifying figure. The upward spike in ratings for Rush and other conservative radio commentators shows how the White House's attempt at a smackdown instead energized the opposition.

Did it do any good with voters not strongly tied to either party? I suspect not. With stock markets down, unemployment growing, banks tottering, consumers anxious, business leaders nervous, and the economy shrinking, the Obama administration's attacks on a radio talk show host made it seem concerned with the trivial.

more at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123682426946303905.html

[Uben]

"the political strategy that's been all about division"

Sorry Karl, but Rush is not a politician, you fuckin idiot. He's a second rate air bag, fat-assed lying piece of shit!

[Trajan]

1. Rove ....

Yeah .... he is 'fair and balanced' ... right ?

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Remember when the WSJ used to be a decent newspaper?

[gratuitous]

3. Oh Karl

Your jealousy, as opposed to everything else about you, is just soooo transparent.

Well, Turd Blossom, here's THE math: Obama's approval numbers are up, and the numbers for Limbaugh and the party he leads are down. And Rush is becoming more irrelevant by the day, even if the craven wimps in the Republican congressional ranks are too scared to put any daylight between themselves and Rush.

[tsuki]

4. Fitting that Karl Rove is now writing in Rupert Murdock's WSJ. Two peas in a pod. nt

[Botany]

5. Thanx for telling us it is working Karl

I swear if Rove said it was cold and dark on Christmas Eve @ 4:00 AM in Fargo, ND
I would put on shorts and sun screen before going outside.

[EmilyAnne]

6. He left out the role of ACORN! I just know they were the masterminds behind the masterminds! nt

[Spazito]

7. Well, that's proof enough for me....

Rove writing an article saying the tying of rush to the repub leadership has failed means the reality is that it has worked very well, too well for the repubs' comfort.

[infidel dog]

8. Turdblossom, your prison cell awaits...

[zipplewrath]

9. His crystal ball is busted

I seem to remember that this is the same guy that told everyone that the GOP would retain the House in '06. The guy that worked the whole "Terri Schiavo" fiasco wants to talk about the fallacy of "diversionary tactics"?

[sinkingfeeling]

10. What a joke! It was Steele and Limbaugh that caused the circus.

[liberal N proud]

11. This is Roves opinion

Which after his criminal activities and his contempt of Congress and the Constitution should be regarded to be about as important as the turds both he and Limbaugh are.

[no_hypocrisy]

13. At this point, I could write Rove better than he can.

All formula designed to play with the minds of the readers. No substance, just froth.

[Enrique]

12. how generous of Rove to offer his free advice

I'm sure Obama will be very grateful.

[truebrit71]

14. And we should care what this porcine future-felon thinks why?

Fuck him and the war criminal he worked for...

[Winterblues]

15. Isn't there some Secret Covert Agent he can help identify for America's enemies?

This is one man I would love to see behind bars for the rest of his life.

[SteppingRazor]

16. Rove comes off as a bit of an idiot within the first three graphs.

"Team Obama -- aided by Clintonistas Paul Begala, James Carville and Stanley Greenberg -- decided to attack Rush Limbaugh after poring over opinion research."

....

"The West Wing looked populated by petulant teenagers intent on taking down a popular rival."



So, which is it, Karl? Did they decide on Limbaugh after careful selection to paint the Republican Party as the party of Super Unpopular Rush Limbaugh, or is Limbaugh a "popular rival"?

[LynneSin]

17. Personally the only one creating a "Obama's Enemy List" are the names on that list

Meaning Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, Sean Hannity etc. etc.

They have this imaginary list they assume they are on that they believe Obama keeps.

Personally I think Obama is too busy with fixing this country to be bothered with creating such a list. But that's just my 2 cents.