Letters to the Editor
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Another Bowl of Mush From Mr. Shapiro
This nonsense that if Karl Rove didn't exist, "he'd have to be invented," seems designed to neutralize the effects he's had on politics, first in Texas and now nationally. He's much more than a marketer--he has connections throughout the party, and he has encouraged the "dirty tricks" wing of the GOP to the point that that is almost all the party has to offer, election after election.
Take a look at Al Franken's "Lies" and see if you don't think Mr. Rove is a good bit more toxic than Mr. Shapiro's "ah, that's just politics" meme would lead you to believe. Is it just a coincidence that phone records of those involved in the New Hampshire phone-jamming case in which a couple of low-level Republicans are either in jail or on their way indicate numerous calls to the White House on election day?
Is it any coincidence that push polls, smears, and untraceable rumors always seem to follow in Rove's wake?
Is it any coincidence that an innocent state employee in Texas answering a hypothetical question about whether a hypothetical government official who was using Texas residency to avoid tax might be violating the law was fired immediately when that hypothetical official turned out to be Rove?
Shapiro has made these "everything's fine, in fact, Rove is good for the Democrats" statements before in Salon--it's simply not analytical, nor is it well-supported. Rove is a dangerous political animal, and his particular ruthlesslessness mixed with utter cunning has been devastating for our national dialogue and our national policy.