Some Reflections on "Rove in State of Panic." Are things what they seem?

[L. Coyote]

Some Reflections on "Rove in State of Panic"
OR Another Howl in the Wilderness.

Are things what they seem? Mark Crispin Miller re Rove's letter: ... "seems to me to be the outburst of a very anxious man."

The emphasis should be on "seems to me." What the "outburst" is meant to seem like MAY NOT BE Rove's real intention, seems to me. I realize Rove is preparing to testify, when finally forced to. Seems to me, Rove's letter is the script Rs will be reading at Siegelman's hearing, if not subterfuge to help create some needed script.

So, Scott Horton reports, in an e-mail to a known, radical, leftist writer, that several GOP sources in Alabama think Rove is in a state of panic, Yes, we now have fourth-hand Republican hearsay, at best, if we trust the sources AND the unnamed Alabama informants. Horton informing that senior Alabama GOP figures are "keeping quiet ... more political smarts than Rove" says a lot. But, how true is that? The R denials are in Horton's blog, seems to me.

Horton informing that "Rove has a simple objective here" is likely true, seems to me. Even Rove wanting "to know all the underlying evidence .. against him" is a plausible assertion, albeit obliquely related to this letter's purpose, seems to me.

Horton goes on to ask, "How can he deny he was involved in fundraising and strategizing? The very effort is absurd." So it seems to me also. Rove, of course, is finding issues where no focus came before, anywhere and everywhere he can, to avoid the focus on other things, including Horton's own words on Riley's illegal campaign financing via Abramoff, Scanlan, Susan Ralston, ... etc., etc.

I have my own list of things Rove does NOT want you to focus on today, or tomorrow: Riley's illegal campaign financing, stealing Siegelman's election, Abramoff, Scanlan, Reed, scalping Indians, Noel Hillman, McCain covering up the Abramoff-Alabama connection, racist politics in the Old South, gambling corruption, Susan Ralston, USA firings, voter caging, Hatch Act violations, GAO corruption in support of Republican candidates, lost e-mails, and that's just off the top of my head.

Horton also states that Rove's "denial should be under oath and subject to cross-examination, just as Jill Simpson's was" and so it seems to me also. But, wouldn't that subvert Rove's purpose today. Rove wants everyone to focus on anything except that very long list. Purporting his "state of panic" serves this purpose, seems to me.

Rove's letter: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3181624

Now, what else is in that letter? First, a carefully parsed threat to discontinue speaking or face legal challenge, seems to me, "Your continued coverage of this issue raises questions about your journalistic standards and those of MSNBC and NBC." This is the part the Legal Department is focused on!

Rove writes, "... a vast conspiracy involving two U.S. Attorneys, the Alabama Attorney General, unnamed career officials in the Public Integrity Unit at the U.S. Justice Department, unnamed higher-ups in the Justice Department and ... there is not a single piece of paper, not a single email, not a single conversation ... not one credible witness to the workings of the conspiracy?" It certainly concerns me that given this situation, we do not move the focus to other aspects of the story, the very ones Dan Abrams would not allow Siegelman to discuss when he cut Gov. Siegelman off with that infamous "Let's keep it simple." Those issues WERE discussed between Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Gov. Siegelman on GoLeft TV-Circle of Fire.

RFK, Jr. interview w/ Gov. Don Siegelman
Part 1 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x120912
Part 2 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x120914
GD - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3173987

Okay, finally we have two non-Republicans talking about this issue. Whew! that's a start.
However, that's not to say their conversation holds up any better to Rovian critique!

Why the focus on what all these Republicans are saying: Rove, Abrams, Horton, Simpson, and unnamed informants (and CBS?). If looking for vast Republican conspiracies, this group may be where to start! What better way to subvert investigation and prosecution of the initial conspiracy than to create a veneer that becomes, in due course, an immensely discrediting and brightly-flaming pile of obvious BS, or so it seems to me. To remove the BS muddying the issue, remove Rove from the DoJ-Hillman-Canary-Fuller equation until evidenced, before the BS becomes the issue obfuscating all else.

Finally Rove writes, "You didn't subject the statements of others to skeptical and independent review." It seems to me, this Rovian chastizing is in order here on DU and elsewhere. Quoting the one other tidbit of wisdom in the letter, to "simply repeat something someone else says" won't get it done. Especially true about becoming the echo chamber for the Mighty R Wurlitzer. Much more thinking and analysis is in order, along with selecting our own focus and voices, seems to me.

I need to howl this plainly, "In politics, things are never what they seem." That axiom needs to be applied to what everyone says, including if not especially to Gov. Don Siegelman. After all, he was fooled before, like everyone else is being fooled, seems to me.