Karl Rove, seen here after his conviction for
heading a child prostitution ring
Another day, another episode of Karl Rove starring in
lies and the lying liars who, um, lie and stuff:
An ad by Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS was yanked from rotation on a Montana cable show because it made claims that the network deemed false. [...]
In it, Tester is accused of supporting an Environmental Protection Agency rule -- a rule that was never in fact proposed -- to regulate farm dust. But the vote that the ad cites actually had nothing to do with dust or the EPA; it was a procedural vote on a measure aimed at cracking down on China for manipulating currency.
Oh, that's a keeper. Charging your opponent with supporting a rule that doesn't exist, in a vote that never happened, and citing as your proof a vote on a completely, vastly, ridiculously different thing. Bravo.
So the ad was pulled from the network. Sweet victory? Well, no. As Crossroads smugly points out, plenty of other outlets continue to run the ad. No apology from Rove's group, even though the ad is plainly just some thrown-together garbage with not even a hint of truthful intent. (Farm dust? Currency manipulation? Eh, same thing, let's go with it!)
As we all know, this is what the Rove group exists for. Put out false ads—and I don't mean "a little sketchy," I mean full-blown made-up nonsense—and presume that enough stations will take your money to get the ad out there. Rove exists for the lie. His entire career is based on it. The reason it works is because being willing to invent useful lies will never, ever discredit you in a profession where everyone, from politicians to pundits to press, celebrates lying as a form of art.
Think the so-called Swift Boat Vets claims were scummy? Just think what Rove's group will come up during this general election, now that there's a wall of plausible deniability between the most celebrated liar in politics and whichever campaign his organization just "happens" to end up supporting.