Is Rove's Private Life "Fair Game?"

[AnnInLa]

A Fork in the Rove?

snip

Last Sunday, in a blistering column in the New York Times, Frank Rich charged that around the time the White House was leaking Plame’s undercover CIA status to friendly reporters, Rove’s office was publicly “outing” Jeffrey Kofman after the gay ABC correspondent reported on the flagging morale of American troops in Iraq. Rich angrily charged the Republican rumor-monger with fostering a “pervasive culture of revenge” in Washington. Now, in the same spirit, Rove’s critics are forcing the married pol to fend off a politically motivated campaign that focuses on his own personal life.

For years, political insiders in the Lone Star State have whispered about Rove’s close friendship with lobbyist Karen Johnson, a never-married, forty-something GOP loyalist from Austin, Texas. The two first became close when Johnson sat on the board of then-Governor George W. Bush’s Business Council over a decade ago. Their friendship reportedly deepened after Bush appointed Johnson—a little-known spokesperson for the Texas Good Roads Association—to a seat on his Transportation Department transition team in 2000. The plum appointment enabled Johnson’s lobbying firm, Infrastructure Solutions, to snare such high-paying clients as Aetna and the City of Laredo. Sources say Johnson now frequently travels between Washington D.C. and Austin, where she frequently appears at Rove’s side at parties and unofficial functions.

Although there is no evidence that their relationship is anything but professional, the close association between the married White House aide and the comely lobbyist has long raised eyebrows in conservative Texas circles. Asked about the pair, a prominent political journalist who has written extensively about Rove says, “I’ve heard the stories, but I would never write about Karl and Karen. If you want to keep your job as a reporter in Texas, you make believe you don’t see them together.”

snip

Asked to comment on Rove’s relationship with Johnson, a White House spokesman firmly declined to discuss the matter, saying that their relationship was “the business of these two individuals who have personal lives…I don’t think that’s something that the White House should comment on.” A new air of civility in Washington? Don’t count on it.


more at http://www.radaronline.com/fresh-intelligence/

[edbermac]

1. Are Bill and Hillary's fair game?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. but, in Rove's immoral words, "they are democrats"

and that makes all the difference

[lala_rawraw]

2. Depends what you mean by private...

His family, no. Ethically that would put us at his level of honor, or lack there of. That said, his "personal" behavior is public and should be throughly made sport of. Not out of revenge, simply out the fact that as a public figure, he has no privacy in that regard. Example, the male hookers would be up for some fun talk. But no on his family, that is for sure.

[atreides1]

13. "...that would put us at his level of honor, or lack there of."

Let's just face facts, at some point in time we're going to have to get down in the mud and fight them at their level. It's all well and good to take the high ground, but you can't fight alligators by standing on the bank of the river!!!!

[Geoff R. Casavant]

30. If I may continue the metaphor . . .

. . . you also can't fight alligators by trying to bite them the way they bite you. What you can do is use your hands and your brain and fashion tools to help you.

This is a moral battle as well as a political one. If we fight using their tactics, we have as good as lost already.

[Just Me]

20. I am in full agreement with you at this time.

The rule that, private matters having nothing to do with professional competence will remain respectfully private, has been changed by right-wing hacks. Politics is presently a professional and personal blood sport. The right-wing has pulled politics into that game and the hacks are fully responsible for imposing dirty character maneuvers into that game. Hence, as they give they shall receive. However, I would never step past the clearly-delineated line you put forth: hands off the family, period.

[Racenut20]

3. U Betsha. Sickem.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Yep!

They made the rules, we didn't.

[FreedomAngel82]

24. Exactly

I used to not like it but now I know that the only way to get the hypocrites is to get them at their own game.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Hell, yes. What goes around comes around, Karl. . .

nobody is lucky forever.

:evilfrown:

[samdogmom]

6. What's good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Think of all the horrible things this man has done to others. I can only invoke the Golden Rule: "Do unto others...."

Well Karl, do you get it now?

[flyarm]

8. he seems to think everyone elses private life is

fair game..remember mccain..( too bad mc cain doesn't remember while being a bush appologist!)

so hillary and bill were fair game..and remember rove was not elected!

he's fair game!

[maynard]

9. Plame/Wilson was fair game

Yes, we need to investigate anything and everything. The king of dirty tricks needs to get a taste of what he does to everyone else.

[90-percent]

12. Dirty Tricks?

If its factual truth, how could it possibly be considered a dirty trick?

-85%

[eleny]

10. Is a bean green?

[ellenfl]

40. no?

red beans, black beans, pea beans, garbanzo beans, wax beans . . .

as to rove and his family, he has not held anything back attacking his 'enemies'. why should he be spared his own tactics? karma, baby, karma.

ellen fl

[Talismom]

11. I say go for it big time!!! The rotten little slob deserves anything

we can throw at 'im!
:mad:

[MsTryska]

14. hmm....in a word?

yes.

[ibegurpard]

15. Who cares about Rove's private life?

This isn't just about Rove...which speculating about ridiculous shit like this moves it toward.

[napi21]

17. I think the RW Pubs might care!

I don't care what he does, privately or publically, but it seems that all those things are important to the Pubs! I say, they need to know their man.

[ibegurpard]

18. It's not about just Rove

and chasing after stuff like this makes it so. Then when they get rid of him (and he will just take an unofficial telephone advisory role financed by a well-heeled contributor) they can say "problem solved."

[napi21]

27. Fitz ins't paying any attention to what anyone says about Rove!

HE's the one who will link all the others. I can't see a problem with taking these Pubs down one by one! I wait for Fitz to get the rest of them!

[ellenfl]

41. that's why he needs to be more than fired. eom

[napi21]

16. I think he & his family are fair game! I well remember the personal

and lying attacks on Cindy McCain in the 2000 campaign! I also remember all the attacks on John Kerry's wife! Look at what HE did to Joe Wilson's wife! To me, it's like in a court. If the defense states something that opens the door, the prosecution if free to walk in! Rove opened the door by scandalizing the families of his political opponents.

I detest dirty politics, and in this case, I say GO FOR IT!

[yurbud]

19. I have trouble believing Rove would have an affair with a WOMAN

the guy looks like John Wayne Gacy for God's sake.

He probably has some Michael Jackson thing going on and buries the bodies in his basement.

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[MemphisTiger]

21. You bet

fight fire with fire. For too long we've tried to take the high road with politics. It's time we treated it for what it is, a bloodsport. If we don't recognize this we'll be beaten again and again. Frankly, our great country can't survive many more years of the neo-cons at the helm. I say f*&k em'

[FreedomAngel82]

22. Very interesting

Funny how we never see Rove out with his wife and son isn't it? But he parades around with this woman. More "family values" at work!

[charlie]

23. If anyone's a prime candidate for exemption from "fairness"

it's Rove. Sliming people with hurtful charges of pedophilia and the like is the biggest gun in his arsenal. He used up his human privileges loooong ago.

[aquart]

25. By Rove's rules, Yep. Live by the smear.......

[pk_du]

26. ...and so is Ms Johnson according to this..

http://nov2truth.org/article.php?story=20050301090059317


..anyone involved in this racket should be locked up for a long time.

[KarenInMA]

28. Hell Yeah!!

Even if he DIDN'T have an affair, lets make up a story! Let's have him DENY that he cheated on his wife! Hell, let's make him deny that he cheated on his wife with Rick Santorum and his box turtle.

[Stephanie]

29. Nominated

Fair game!

[RamboLiberal]

31. In this case I say play by Rove's rules

He made a helluva career by dirty tricks and using "private lives", even inventing untruths to win. Karma's a bitch, Karl!

[eissa]

32. You live by the sword....

Hell yes, his family is fair game. The man has made a living out of smearing opponents and their families in every way imaginable. I don't mind having high standards, but every now and then you have to wallow in the mud a little.

[Vincardog]

33. No we should not 'out' KKKarl. If aWoL finds out he is gay

he might loose his job. You don't want to be responsible for that would you?

[K8-EEE]

34. Actually I Have Him Pegged As Jimmy-Jeff's Boyfriend

Cannot, not NOT imagine anybody male or female attracted to this goon!

[Lindacooks]

35. Damn straight it is.

Repukes set the bar when they went after President Clinton. Their personal lives are ALL fair game.

[sojourner]

36. ANY politician's private life is fair game...just ask the Repugs!

If you got it, USE it!!!

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

37. does a bear poop in the woods?

just watch out for bear traps.

[YOY]

38. Most of the time No in this case HELL YES

If ever there was a man who asked for it this would be it.

Lets see if he can take what he dishes out...we'll throw in a couple of blatant lies as well and "whisper campagns" just to keep it on his level.

Stinking scumbag.

[Joanne98]

39. "Rove's mistress is fair game"! Give the lady some attention! lol

[phiddle]

42. Hell, No. We should say something like

"We Democrats value privacy rights. We will fight to keep a woman's right to choose, to keep government out of family issues such as Michael Schiavo's, and we will not investigate a public figure's personal life, whether it's Bill Clinton or Karl Rove". (!) Privacy rights coupled with public responsibility should be our creed, desire for revenge notwithstanding.

[Coexist]

43. Was John McCain's?

nuff said.

[Fritz67]

44. Imagine...

...If it is true.

Press: Scott, how come Karl Rove having an affair is no big deal to the President and the Republicans, but when Clinton got a blow job from an intern it was an impeachable offense?

Scott: I'm afraid I can't answer that question as the investigation is ongoing.

Press: Does Ms. Johnson wear a thong?

Scott: I'm afraid I can't answer that question as the investigation is ongoing.

Press: What about cigars? Does she like cigars?

Scott: I'm afraid I can't answer that question as the investigation is ongoing.

Press: Does this give new meaning to Mr. Rove's nickname of "Turd Blossom"?

Scott: I'm afraid I can't answer that question as the investigation is ongoing.

[Bride of Cthulhu]

45. since Clinton's was fair game

to the repug's i feel the favor ought to be returned with interest. all repuke's are fair game.

[DanCa]

46. self delete

[Kerrytravelers]

47. Clinton's penis was fair game.

Not that I want to know about rover's little member.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

48. What will we tell Darby?

:cry:

[LizW]

49. Yes, but not worth the time. n/t

[stepnw1f]

50. According to Freeperz Traitors Should Be Tortured

so yes... fair game!

:evilgrin:

[SlavesandBulldozers]

51. it's a distraction. there's no need to get personal. he's

already admitted to more serious ethical and criminal lapses, why stoop to that level when he's already admitted a high-crime? it's unnecessary.

of course his personal life is fair game, but it's completely unnecessary given what has transpired.