Karl Rove, President Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff, said some rather incredible things last Wednesday night at a conservative convention in New York City, but this stands out the most for me:
Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year? Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals. (“Rove criticizes liberals on 9/11”, New York Times, June 23, 2005).
So let me get this straight. Senator Durbin’s motive for questioning treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay on the Senate floor was to get broadcast on Mideast television and thereby cause physical harm to American troops? If there is any other reading of Mr. Rove’s words, I don’t see it.
Having had a couple days to consider whether he made a poor choice of words Mr. Rove has declined to modify or clarify his statement in any way. He stands by his comments and President Bush’s Press Secretary said that the President would “of course not” ask Rove to apologize. Karl Rove is Bush’s top political advisor and they are apparently of like mind on this issue.
No more need be said about the motives of liberals… really? So the motivating principle of the whole left-side of the political spectrum — from Democratic congresspeople to the liberals – is to cause physical harm to our troops? And President Bush agrees with this?
It is a stark and stunning accusation. That he would say it boggles the mind. That he believes it strains credibility. But he apparently stands by this statement.
So let me for all liberals say what should not need to be said. Every death and injury to any one of our troops causes me heart ache. I never wanted them to go into Iraq in the first place, and I want each and every one of them to come home safe and sound as soon as possible. Your accusation, Mr. Rove, is an unforgivable insult and has no place in American discourse.
I am sure that President Bush—and his Deputy Chief of Staff—also care for the wellbeing of our troops and our citizens. I call on him now to prove it by promising the following:
1) That he will never again send American troops into war except for the immediate defense of America or to address an immediate, unequivocal, and compelling threat to America or to innocent lives abroad.
2) That he will never again send American troops into war in insufficient numbers or with insufficient resources to ensure their success and safety.
3) That he will personally do whatever it takes to ensure that the abuses that occurred at Abu Graib will never, ever happen again at the hands of or with the complicity of anyone in the American government.
4) That he will refocus the energies of America’s defense and intelligence resources to the capture Osama Bin Laden and members of Al Qaeda.
I am a liberal, and no more need be said about my motivations.