Kitzhaber had considered running against Smith, but then opted out. It was almost assumed Kitzhaber was going to run. Had he run, it would have been a close race. Oh how I wish...

<h1></h1>

The very latest Republiar framing aims to identify elected Democrats as the Rove-treason accusers -- beating the Dems is supposed to mean the Republiars are vindicated.

But Democrats are NOT the Republiars' enemy. The enemy of the Republiar Party is Americans. Citizens and citizen-soldiers. The American way of life, American law, American democracy.

It is Republiars vs. America. Now whose side are you on?

[ -- It really has been the rightwing media-corruption all along, particular in election candidate campaigns and the TV ads, (unexamined by the media which profits Billion$ selling access into the public's airwaves), and the thought saturation by them. Candidates, especially Republiars, claim they are campaigning against their Dem opponent, but in fact, Republiars oppose the way things work. Goofo Smith was NOT opposing the Dem candidate; Smith attacked Klamath community's water decisions, and attacked Klamath town's community RIGHT to decide. Republiars have campaigned against America -- against American law, against American justice, against American commonwealth. Rove attacked Ambassador Wilson doing his job for America, its intelligence and security work, as American taxpayers paid Wilson to do. Rove's enemy is America and American culture. The Republiar enemy is America. Whose side are you on? -- ]

<h1></h1>

Ahhhhh....the sickly sweet stench of demagoguery. Mmmmmm.....

This is corruption of government decision-making to affect the outcome of an election.

Gordon Smith tried to make this happen in July 2001 as an amendment to the Interior Department appropriations bill. He lost the vote and went to the White House. Eventually he lobbied successfully to get it done... Looks like Rove was the key player.

Jim "lapdog" Barnett isn't going to ask good ol' Gordo, but someone ought to:

"Senator Smith, did you discuss the issue of irrigation in the Klamath Basin with Karl Rove?"

"Did Karl Rove pull the strings with Secretary Gale Norton to make this happen because you deemed it important to your re-election, as the LA Times report suggests?"

if it turned out there were more farmers than indians and environmentalists come election day, there's nothing wrong with what they did, from an electoral standpoint.

but killing a bunch of salmon wasn't cool, and if we can make that resonate with more voters next time smith's up, bully.

It's no surprise that I don't often side with the environmental lobby on much of anything. I admire their dedication, but it pretty much ends there. As noble a cause that saving salmon might be, I feel compelled to point out a critical electoral factoid:

FISH DON'T VOTE!!!

As if Gordon Smith needed any help from that guy to flourish his 0% record on the environment with regard to Klamath Basin ecology. Gordon Smith has yet to see a tree in Oregon he doesn't want to sell to Japan, or the space of public land that he doesn't want to pave.

Good luck, folks.

Thanks for the update on the # of registered salmon in Oregon Sherlock...

The point is that Smith/Rove decided they were going to do this as part of an electoral strategy, after they lost a vote on it in the Senate, instead of getting the stakeholders together and hammering out some type of solution. Farmers = GOP votes. X = what farmers want.

--To hell with the decisions of the Klamath community re: water use.

--To hell with ravaging the environment and killing 50K salmon.

--To hell with thousands of family wage jobs in the fishing communities affected.

Typical... (unfortunately.)

<h1></h1>

Too busy flopping fins and drowning votes, the Republiars forgot to notice it doesn't matter how many suckers took the hook when the candidate and everybody in the same boat is under indictment or arrest or lockdown for corrupt misappropriation or abuse of power or coercing fraud. And their criminals are banned from the ballot.

<h1></h1>

It is gratifying to see Rove called on the carpet for being as sleazy as a Mafia Don ordering someone's kneecaps broken for a perceived affront, but it will inevitably be stomach-churning to see him rewarded for it as other administration misbehavors have been.

What's worse is contemplating what public support of an administration with the modus operandi of a crime-syndicate tells about the electorate that returned them to office. What good will come from exposing amoral actions in abuse of power to an electorate dominated by those who are enthralled by any exercise of our power, howerver brutal? How do you counsel someone pumped up on steroids about the adverse emotional and long-term health effects of the drug that makes them feel so powerful? I fear the lesson will sink in too late.

It's just stultifying to hear them carry on! They were repeating the old character-assassination attacks in which Rove orginally indulged as if the repetition served as confirmation. They said Ambassador Wilson had lied about being sent by Veep Creep Cheney to Niger (say it like a Frenchman: Neezhair!) as if he was covering up an expensed junket arranged by his CIA-officer wife (no name, no blame!). Ah, Niamey, Niger... the Paris of the deserts of Central Africa! [Hack!]

"Farmers = GOP votes. X = what farmers want."

Yes....clearly, pandering is a tactic that is only limited to the Republican side of the aisle. Democrats NEVER EVER pander to their voters or base. Thank God you were able to draw that distinction so clearly for us. I feel so...dirty and ashamed.

And Democrats never operate in "lockstep" either. They are a diverse collection of independent and informed thinkers. Mainstream, grassroots, blue collar, caring, tolerant and above the fray.

ooooo we pissed off some indians? OMG! Sound the alarm! Indians are pissed off! Gosh, I guess we rupublicans won't be getting that welfare-schmoozing voter group in the next election.

Oh, and here is a clue about Karl Rove: he isn't obsessed with winning elections as you note. That's his JOB! That's what he is PAID to do! Just like democrats pay similar people in similar positions.

"FISH DON'T VOTE"

The obvious (hopefully) rebuttal would be...

"NEITHER DOES DIRT"

Please, can't we all just get along. the truth is - fish don't vote but, some folks really care about their habitat, etc. Dirt doesn't vote but, represents an industry and way of life for many. Belittling the other sides message because they are worried about something that can't cast a ballot is a little narrow.

(tounge now inserted in cheek) Dead people also don't vote, so why worry about the death tax. Tax 'em - what are they gonna say?

Businesses don't vote either, techinically speaking they are an organization that exists in the tax code. So, why worry about the "business climate."

Roads don't vote - stop paying for transportation packages.

Dick Cheney doesn't vote - who cares what he says - press please stop covering Dick Cheney...

That's all.

Hopefully that was mildly amusing...if not please respond with angry posts which I may respond to. But, unfortunately this blog doesn't vote either, damn website free riders...

Check out Paul Krugman on Karl Rove's America

Wasn't the Bush administration's talking point on the Klamath "people before fish"?

There are, according to the Oregonian, about 1400 full and part time irrigators in the Klamath Basin.

There are roughly 3000 enrolled members of The Klamath Tribes in Oregon, 3000 members of the Karuk Tribe in California, 4000 members of the Yurok Tribe in California, and several thousand commercial fishermen and recreational fishing businesses from Ft. Bragg, California to Coos Bay, Oregon who's ability to harvest salmon is determined by how well what is left of the Klamath River salmon runs are doing.

Putting people first? Which people?

Which people to put first? Offhand, I'd say the people who are most likely to vote for him. Sure, I suppose there might be some twisted logic in kissing the butt of people who didn't vote for you and have sworn never to vote for you no matter what, but traditionally, that never has the jackpot payoff that one always hopes. Before we start with the beating of breasts and the rending of garmets, I'm pretty sure that's standard fare for both political parties...just in case someone here was about to come down with a nasty case of righteous indignation.

Are you guys serious??!!?! Man, you leftos really gotta get a life. How quickly you forget about Vince Foster (victim of Billary), Monica et. al. And you leftos have the balls to criticize Rove.

You wonder why America rejects your outlandish dogma. Just step back and take a look at the postings here. Wow, you guys need to get a life. If you really want to make a difference, quit making up these conspiracy theories and use what little is left of your brain after using your "medicinal marijuana" and be productive.

Just cracks me up, to listen to the left work themselves up into a tizzy over Karl Rove. I understand, everything you have said about the President turns out to be false. He is a man of conviction, you hate that. He is a man of his word, you hate that. He is actually smart (eg his grades vs. John F. Kerry's). He defies everything you guys want to believe about him.

And now comes this whole Karl Rove debacle. I don't know all the facts, but I know enough that he did not commit any crimes. But you guys spend all this time and energy conjuring up conspiracy theories.

Don't you understand that the average voter is laughing at you?

Of course, in the late 90's they were laighing at the GOP, and rightfully so. We wised up and let the Slickster (This is actually a nickname of respect - like him or loathe him, he is a GREAT politician) go. We focused our energies moving forward, not looking back.

And we regained the majority.

Quote by RAD "Oh, and here is a clue about Karl Rove: he isn't obsessed with winning elections as you note. That's his JOB! That's what he is PAID to do! Just like democrats pay similar people in similar positions."

WRONG. Karl Rove is a public employee who is paid by tax dollars and works in the Whitehouse which last time I checked was not a campaign headquarters.

Rove is a Traitor. A Douchebag of Liberty. It sure is fun watching all the rats scurry about tyring to find a way off the S.S. Rove/Bush before it goes down.

Presidential Approval Rating Today? 42%. Stick that in your pipe RAD and smoke it.

Fin said ---"Rove is a Traitor. A Douchebag of Liberty. It sure is fun watching all the rats scurry about tyring to find a way off the S.S. Rove/Bush before it goes down."----

You MUST be a victim of something. How does one get so out there any way?

I stil can't get what Rove did wrong. Let alone treasonous or douchebagadous.

Who are the rats, where can I find them scurrying, and where can I find signs of the sinking?

I'd say there was more evidence of all that happening in the other camp.

From Paul Krugman's editorial, graciously linked by Tom C.:

Ultimately, this isn't just about Mr. Rove. It's also about Mr. Bush, who has always known that his trusted political adviser... is a thug, and obviously made no attempt to find out if he was the leaker.

Most of all, it's about what has happened to America. How did our political system get to this point?

I reiterate: What's worse is contemplating what public support of an administration with the modus operandi of a crime-syndicate tells about the electorate that returned them to office.

The thuggish behavior of the holders of the highest offices in our land is corroding the souls of the citizens of this grand country. Just look at the moral bankruptcy of these struttin' gansta-wanna-bes:

And now comes this whole Karl Rove debacle. I don't know all the facts, but I know enough that he did not commit any crimes.

I stil can't get what Rove did wrong. Let alone treasonous or douchebagadous.

I hope their 'high' on testosterone is worth the havoc it will inevitably wreak upon them.

For those who wonder what Rove did wrong:

1) "Bringing honor and dignity to the White House" (what Bush promised to do) doesn't sound like what Rove has been up to.

2) I heard on a news show tonight that of all the Republicans defending Rove publicly, few if any are those Senators thinking of running for president.

3) The one thing the Bush folks said from the beginning is that they would be different than Clinton. Lots of people made fun of Clinton's "what the meaning of is, is". If you listen closely these days, you begin to hear recent Republican language about Rove compared to Clinton "parsing every word".

4) As press secretaries have learned down the years, words can come back to bite. And White House correspondents are certainly asking the White House press secretary "Do you stand by your words..." because Rove turns out to be a source and earlier briefings said he hadn't been.

5) Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald is expected to deliver his report by the end of the summer. It could say "stupidity and lack of ethics but no crime" or some such. OR it could prove legally painful for Rove or Ari Fleisher, or someone whose name we barely know. It could be hard on multiple people.

6) Yes folks, the rules do apply to any White House. Someone on the White House payroll is a public employee, not a campaign employee. And today some news organization (forget which one) was playing the sound of Bush in 2001 instructing his new staff on their ethical obligations the day they were sworn in. Any discrepency between those instructions and behavior of White House staff is political trouble if nothing else.

7) Regardless of all those who make general statements like "the right" or "the left", many people are somewhere in the middle. And if it turns out someone lied to the grand jury or the Special Prosecutor, or is indicted for perjury, some will say "innocent until proven guilty", and some will be very disappointed in those they had believed in. And those who voted split ticket last year (Bush and Hooley as incumbents deserving re-election, for instance) may look at all this and re-evaluate their politics.

As the grandchild of a 1930s anti-machine Republican, I know there are those politicians who stand up for what they believe is right and others who play political games as if rules don't apply to them. I've campaigned for Republicans with a strong sense of right and wrong. It wouldn't suprise me if there are Republicans whose attitude about Rove may be that he is a drag on the party, or that hubris is followed by nemesis, or that they never thought one party or any individual to be infallible or not responsible for obeying rules.

This has happened many times before in all parties. Someone famous does something wrong and/or politically stupid. Some say "my party right or wrong" and others say "How Could You??". Demanding party loyalty does not win the votes of the latter group, nor does saying the other party is worse.

For those who believe rules apply to everyone, comments like knowing what the "average voter" thinks (without asking them individually) or that some opinion or other is "way out there" are not persuasive. Not that I agree with some of the insults either--just plain childish.

Call me a Susan Collins fan. She's a great Republican Senator. We could use more public figures like those 2 great women Republican Senators from Maine and fewer like Rove who seem to think they have an entitlement to break the rules.

"WRONG. Karl Rove is a public employee who is paid by tax dollars and works in the Whitehouse which last time I checked was not a campaign headquarters."

Do you actually understand how our government works? Karl Rove is a paid partisan, not unlike Stephanopolus, Pelosi, Gingrich, Mehlman, and thousands of other elected and appointed partisans before them. The reason it's acceptable is because tax dollars pay for them on both sides. Calling him a public employee doesn't somehow magically exempt him from partisanship. The White House NOT a campaign headquarters? Perhaps you should "check" again. Best I know, you can't use a public office or facility to raise money, be it in the state capitol or the Oval Office. Other than that little restriction...

This could also be an internal counter-Rove Republikan attack. Right now, the more Rove gets his electoral say on key issues, Pres. Shrub is more likely to nominate a moderate to the Court. Pushing Rove aside temporarily could let extreme elements advance their own agenda which could cause an electoral backlash in the mid-term elections. Maybe Rove is pure evil. When circumstances leave him in a position where being himself would do some good, he suddenly becomes ineffectual.

This whole thing is being treated as if Rove blew the cover of an CIA agent, put her at risk and by extension threatened national security. Why.

As far as we now know. Rove told a journalist that Wilson was sent to Africa by his wife, who works at the CIA. She is not an operative or agent and hadn't been for six years. She works at the CIA in some other capacity and that appears to have been fairly well known.

Suppose she worked for the FBI and Rove had told someone she worked there. If she had six years earlier been an under cover FBI agent what wrong is committed?

Now if Rove lied under oath to a grand jury that would be something.

<h1></h1>

See, it's because it matters, media matters, when traitors betray America and sit in the Evil Office illegally, brainwashing all their Republican bumpersticker wearers into saying the other party's fair believers "does it too." Fact is, the other party is NOT traitors, did not betray America, did not media mouth lies which have killed thousands of America's citizen-soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent humans, and no, do not does it, too. Any reader can tell from the scared boasting above that the stain of shame burning their brain no amount of washing can remove in their lifetime.

It doesn't matter to respond to liars' lies. Here is what action matters, which one person CAN DO, me and you and each of us, and imprison the criminals. Your talk ain't squat, you gotta STEP INTO ACTION.

Because Media repeated false GOP talking point on authorization for Wilson trip to Niger, which means the media only carries traitor Republiar lies, like this: The RNC talking point: LIE: Wilson said he was sent to Niger at Cheney's behest :LIE, and this: Rove's false claim to Cooper: LIE: Plame authorized Wilson's trip :LIE, for two lies to start with, in these Instances of media repeating RNC : # The Wall Street Journal, # CARL CAMERON [Fox News], # G. GORDON LIDDY [radio host], # CHRIS MATTHEWS [MSNBC host], TUCKER ESKEW [Former Bush communications deputy assistant], # NEWT GINGRICH [Fox News], # RUSH LIMBAUGH [nationally syndicated radio host], # JOHN KING [CNN], for a small sample of corporate media full of the lies of one small sample of one day's Republiar talking points lies.

There are many more, all through the corporate media, lies told from the Republiar Evil Office including the ones repeated by the Republiar names in this thread, above, which are all detailed at Media Matters for America. The Republiars up above cannot stop you from reading Media Matters to see their lies documented. The Republiars up above cannot stop you from BOYCOTT Cable TV and BOYCOTT Corporate MEDIA, keep your money let them keep their lies, including The Oregonian.

ACT. BOYCOTT Corporate MEDIA. They lie for Republiars and they got the traitor's back -- that makes Corporate Media harboring traitors who committed treason. Harboring traitors, killing America, using your money. TAKE ACTION -- KEEP YOUR MONEY away from them. Get on the internet for news, talk to friends, it's better that way.

And while you're holding your money, you are doing to Rove Republiars just exactly as Rove said he does to your country with your money, in this quote on TomPaine.com:

And winning alone has never seemed enough for Rove. The opponent must not simply be defeated but utterly destroyed, both personally and professionally. Suskind reports waiting outside Rove’s door in the White House for an interview, and hearing Rove issue a tirade about a political operative who had displeased him. “We will fuck him,” Rove said, “Do you hear me? We will fuck him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever fucked him!” As Joshua Green recently reported in The Atlantic Monthly , a campaign Rove ran for an Alabama judicial candidate featured a whisper campaign spreading rumors that the opponent was a pedophile. “What Rove does,” said one campaign consultant who had opposed Rove, “is try to make something so bad for a family that the candidate will not subject the family to the hardship.” Rove tried to do something similar to Joe Wilson, but in the process he endangered national security—a fact no amount of spin will conceal.

Rove scares Corporate Media. Corporate Media tells Republiar lies to you. With your money.

BOYCOTT the MEDIA. That is stepping up and DOING IT, screwing the traitors and their friends (above) who betray America. Name-calling talk ain't squat. ACT.

See you back here after you go call the cable company and say "CANCEL REPUBLIARS Media" and call the newspaper and say "CANCEL REPUBLIARS Media." You won't see the liars names (above) back here, the traitor stain on them shows in every word they waste here.

<h1></h1>

[off-topic gibberish deleted. -Editor.]

Why can't someone just post a short version what we or anyone knows Rove told the reporter and how it is or was wrong?

Posted by Dan Estes

"WRONG. Karl Rove is a public employee who is paid by tax dollars and works in the Whitehouse which last time I checked was not a campaign headquarters."

Do you actually understand how our government works? Karl Rove is a paid partisan, not unlike Stephanopolus, Pelosi, Gingrich, Mehlman, and thousands of other elected and appointed partisans before them. The reason it's acceptable is because tax dollars pay for them on both sides. Calling him a public employee doesn't somehow magically exempt him from partisanship. The White House NOT a campaign headquarters? Perhaps you should "check" again. Best I know, you can't use a public office or facility to raise money, be it in the state capitol or the Oval Office. Other than that little restriction...

Are you really this stupid? You are comparing the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President to two elected officials and the head of the RNC?

Of course Rove is a partisan but he is also paid by our tax dollars and as such is accountable to the American people for some level of behaviour consistent with being one of the nation's top advisors to our President.

Wilson did this or that...blah blah blah, Plame was not really an undercover agent...blah blah blah...Rove was actually trying to correct the story...blah blah blah

All weak sauce RNC talking points that try to obsucure this simple facts:

Scottie McClellan in 2003 "Libby and Rove were not INVOLVED in the incident".

Toaday - We know damn well they were INVOLVED. Up to their fat arses they were involved. Of course the President just moved the goalposts and now will only fire Rove if he is convicted of a crime and our lovely Republican sheep eagerly drink the Kool-Aid.

<h1></h1>

The clear picture, as Frank Rich most recently (7/17, Sunday NY Times, "Follow the Uranium") in a string of observers all point out, is Rove worked to erase information, and dislodge people who supply such information, which showed Bush knowingly lied to invade Iraq and has now killed thousands of American citizen-soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis by his lying presidency, in truth. And Rove has broken laws to do his erasing. His erasing of living and memories of life which has been lost, from human to fish. Rove corrupted Klamath with his lies on behalf of Gordon Smith, because Smith had told the WMD lies for Bush and murdering people in Iraq, and might try to wash that blood off his (Smith's) hands by telling WMD truth, which was threat enough to force Rove to lie to bolster Smith in Klamath. The same Rove doing the same erasing has been more than once to The Oregonian editorial group, (search it up), most likely to use his threats and illegal intimidations to force the newspaper back from telling WMD truth. Keeping on telling Rover's WMD lies while the number of subscribers buying it goes down, down, toward insolvency, squeezes the newspaper with the grip of reality that Rove Republicans protecting Bush cannot erase, and at the popping point, which is now, that opens the way to impeachment, The Oregonian as an example and in general the mainstream media which Rove's lies have rotted out, are going to turn on Rove and Bush. Leading voters to turn against Rove Republicans -- Didn't Mannix resign as Oregon GOPman this weekend and run away?

<h1></h1>