With today's adamant and probably doomed attempt by Bush to protect Rove from questioning under oath, the final act begins for Karl Rove's strange recreation of the Nixon administration. Vietnam has been refought, and Watergate is going to be replayed. There has been endless speculation about Rove's significance in the Bush administration, but recent events seem to clinch the case for his dominance. The real reincarnation of Nixon has stepped forward, and his name is Rove. Let's take a closer look at the evidence.
- Rove has always sought power. From his Young Republican leadership fights to the White House, he has pursued power at every opportunity. He gladly sold his political consulting operation when it became a pre-condition for serving in the administration. Rove is now the de-facto President of the United States because he appears never to be overruled by Bush.
- Rove has been actively involved in a very broad range of Government activities, from chairing the White House Iraq Group, which sold the war, to having responsibility for the inadequate NOLA response, to undermining the Justice Department.
- Rove does not accept the legitimacy of government policy-making independent of political maneuvering. Thus, he has effectively destroyed the formal policy-making centers of the cabinet offices. Rove calls all the shots.
- Bush and Cheney are effectively functioning as Halloween costumes for Rove. He uses the Cowboy costume to act friendly and the Ax Murderer costume to scare people.
- Rove has been deliberately provocative, taking high-risk positions to advance his political agenda. He narrowly averted indictment in the Plame affair, and he is on a collision course with a contempt of Congress charge in the matter of the Federal Attorney firings.
- Like Nixon, secure tenure in power is not Rove's goal. Rather, his goal is continually securing fresh political victories. This requires constantly upping the ante and making progressively more dangerous wagers. It is ultimately a self-destructive process.
- No matter how hard the Democrats try to hide from Rove's excesses, to ride out the end of Bush's term, Rove will not let them. Rove cannot rest without a steady stream of triumphs, even if this desire brings ruin to the nation.
When the Democrats realize that they must bring down Karl Rove, they will do so, and they will wonder why it took them so long.