Day: October 24, 2011

“Bush Brain” Karl Rove Alarmed At Disintegration Of Republican Party Represented By Candidacies Of Rick Perry And Herman Cain

Karl Rove, known as the “Bush Brain’, the man who was able to succeed in electing George W. Bush President twice, is alarmed at what he sees as the coming disintegration of the Republican Party.

Rove has denounced Rick Perry and Donald Trump for reviving the “Birther” conspiracy theory about Barack Obama’s birth certificate, and denial that he was born in the United States. He is also alarmed at the ignorance and rhetoric of Herman Cain, who he considers totally unprepared to be President.

Without saying so specifically, it is clear that Rove prefers Mitt Romney as the nominee, particularly since Jon Huntsman so far has not shown any ability to gain support in the polls. Rove is worried that the Republican Party could self destruct in congressional races, due to the image of the party being crazy, looney, and conspiratorial in nature.

And to top it off, conservative talk show hosts and spokesmen, including Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, have bad mouthed Mitt Romney’s credentials, which along with “Birthers” and Tea Party activists, is a tremendous burden for those, such as Rove, who wish to keep the GOP in the hands of mainstream, rational leadership.

All this is great news for President Obama, as the opposition party tears itself apart.

The Inscrutable Joe Lieberman Still Making Noise As He Readies To Exit The Scene

Connecticut Independent Senator Joe Lieberman may have decided to exit the Senate at the end of 2012, but he is still making noise and creating controversy.

Called conservative intellectual William F. Buckley, Jr’s “favorite Democrat” when he challenged incumbent liberal Republican Lowell Weicker successfully in 1988, Lieberman went on to build a legacy of hard nosed realism in American foreign policy, and the typical liberal Democrat in domestic affairs.

Coming across as moderate mainstream overall, he ended up being chosen as Vice President Al Gore’s Vice Presidential running mate in 2000, but then alienated Gore by publicly stating that the recount challenge was useless against George W. Bush.

After September 11, 2001, his maverick nature continued to develop, and he became one of the most vociferous backers of the Iraq War strategy of President George W. Bush, breaking with many Democrats, including Al Gore.

By 2006, he had alienated many Democrats in his home state and lost the Democratic primary, but instead of gracefully retiring, he ran as an Independent in a three way race and won his seat for another six year term.

Then in 2008, he backed his old friend, Senator John McCain, in the presidential election, breaking party ties completely in a shocking way, and the Democrats thought of punishing him by taking away his party seniority, but President Barack Obama advised against it.

At times supportive of Obama, but often not, Lieberman continued on his independent ways, remaining hawkish in foreign policy and liberal on most domestic matters, and particularly was notable in backing the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military.

But last week, he refused to support the spending bill that would have preserved or created jobs for teachers and first responders, including firefighters and police officers, joining with only two other Democrats and all the Republicans in the Senate.

He has made it clear that he is unlikely to back anyone in the race to replace him in 2012, but has been friendly to Christopher Shays, former moderate Republican Congressman running for his seat.

So Joe Lieberman, from the beginning 23 years ago to now, remains the ultimate inscrutable political figure, certainly a fascinating one to research for a biography in the future.