The Architect's House Tumbles Down
Mashek, John
U.S. News
It may be poetic justice that the so-called architect of President Bush's electoral success, Karl Rove, is now a big player in his failed presidency. It was Bush himself who gave Rove the added responsibility for policy matters in the second term. It hasn't gone well.
Back in 1999, Rove was already operating to bring the governor of Texas and himself to the White House. With the Bush name, the former president's Rolodex, and the family outreach for money, Rove could make his move.
He convinced a number of large state governors that Bush was the real deal, and they came to Austin to get the word. George Pataki of New York, John Engler of Michigan, Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin were among them. My hunch is that all of them were thinking they might get on the GOP ticket and then run on their own when Bush left office.
Of course, Dick Cheney, the man who headed the veep search, wound up with the job. In effect, he picked himself.
Bush's victory in 2000 will always be controversial. Many still think that sleight of hand in Florida did the trick and the Supreme Court went along. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore but won the electoral vote.
Almost from the time of his inauguration, the "compassionate conservative" from Texas acted like he had a strong mandate. With a GOP Congress at his beckoning, Bush and allies in Congress figured they could trample opponents. With few exceptions, they were wrong.
(Continued here.)
U.S. News
It may be poetic justice that the so-called architect of President Bush's electoral success, Karl Rove, is now a big player in his failed presidency. It was Bush himself who gave Rove the added responsibility for policy matters in the second term. It hasn't gone well.
Back in 1999, Rove was already operating to bring the governor of Texas and himself to the White House. With the Bush name, the former president's Rolodex, and the family outreach for money, Rove could make his move.
He convinced a number of large state governors that Bush was the real deal, and they came to Austin to get the word. George Pataki of New York, John Engler of Michigan, Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin were among them. My hunch is that all of them were thinking they might get on the GOP ticket and then run on their own when Bush left office.
Of course, Dick Cheney, the man who headed the veep search, wound up with the job. In effect, he picked himself.
Bush's victory in 2000 will always be controversial. Many still think that sleight of hand in Florida did the trick and the Supreme Court went along. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore but won the electoral vote.
Almost from the time of his inauguration, the "compassionate conservative" from Texas acted like he had a strong mandate. With a GOP Congress at his beckoning, Bush and allies in Congress figured they could trample opponents. With few exceptions, they were wrong.
(Continued here.)
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