Thoughts on Karl Rove

I have to say that I have always respected Karl Rove. I don't agree with the man's politics, but I deeply respect his political talents.

Now it seems as if "turd blossum", as Bush likes to call him, has fallen into a hole from which he can't seem to escape. Many have equated Rove's lawyer's poor attempt to play damage control to Bill Clinton's "I didn't inhale" defense.

To make things worse, the White House has now completely stonewalled the media on the issue, claiming that they cannot discuss "an ongoing investigation". Hmmm.. Oddly enough, that didn't prevent White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan from categorically denying that Karl Rove had anything to do with the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame as an undercover CIA agent. What were your exact words there, Scott?

QUESTION: Weeks ago, when you were first asked whether Mr. Rove had the conversation with Robert Novak that produced the column, you dismissed it as ridiculous. And I wanted just to make sure, at that time, had you talked to Karl?

McCLELLAN: I've made it very clear, from the beginning, that it is totally ridiculous. I've known Karl for a long time, and I didn't even need to go ask Karl, because I know the kind of person that he is, and he is someone that is committed to the highest standards of conduct.

QUESTION: Can you say for the record whether Mr. Rove possessed the information about Mr. Wilson's wife, but merely did not talk to anybody about it?

McCLELLAN: I don't know whether or not -- I mean, I'm sure he probably saw the same media reports everybody else in this room has.

QUESTION: When you talked to Mr. Rove, did you discuss, did you ever have this information?

McCLELLAN: We're going down a lot of different roads here. I've made it very clear that he was not involved, that there's no truth to the suggestion that he was.

Then there was yesterday:

QUESTION: Does the president continue to have confidence in Mr. Rove?

MCCLELLAN: Again, these are all questions coming up in the context of an ongoing criminal investigation. And you've heard my response on this.

QUESTION: So you're not going to respond as to whether or not the president has confidence in his deputy chief of staff?

MCCLELLAN: You're asking this question in the context of an ongoing investigation, and I would not read anything into it other then I'm simply going to comment on an ongoing investigation.

Riiiight.