Rove tries to squash Lieberman pick

By Patrick Keegan

Filed Under Race for White House 2008 on Aug 28 

Karl Rove has apparently tried to head off any chance that presumptive GOP nominee John McCain would select good buddy Joe Lieberman as his running mate.

According the Politico story, Rove contacted Lieberman and asked him to withdraw his name from consideration for the post.

The response?

Lieberman dismissed the request, these sources agreed.

Lieberman “laughed at the suggestion and certainly did not call [McCain] on it,” said one source familiar with the details.

“Rove called Lieberman,” recounted a second source. “Lieberman told him he would not make that call.”

Rove did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Even if Lieberman is not the pick, the Karl Rove fingerprints are now ever so slightly appearing on the McCain campaign, which can only strengthen the Obama/Biden strategy of shackling team Mac to the Bush Administration’s shortcomings.

And if Drudge is right, we could get a leak of the McCain running mate’s identity as early as 6 pm this evening, with possible confirmation by 8pm, just a few short hours before Barack Obama is due to give his speech in Denver.

Comments

  • David Kaiser

    Dear lord, did someone take a wizz in Patrick’s Guinness last night or something?

  • Troy La Mana

    I’d be the first one to say that this President Bush was too liberal with his “compassionate conservatism”. But even liberal lite is better then a liberal that ranks in the top 5 of Most Liberal. I still don’t like McCain but I like Obama even less.

    • Patrick Keegan

      So you think that “spend and spend” is better than “tax and spend”.

      Brilliant.

      • AndDru1

        You sure are in attack mode tonight Mr. Keegan. Upset cuz Barry’s speech sucked?

  • Gary Russell

    It’s deScent, with an ’s.’ Not ‘decent.’

    Brian,
    It wasn’t a spelling problem – libs actually just have a problem with anything being called “decent” – it is too judgmental and bitter.

    • Patrick Keegan

      No, your side just won’t admit that George W. Bush did far more harm to this nation that helped.

      I’ll admit my side isn’t always right. Grow up and admit your side isn’t either.

      I don’t think you’re capable.

      • AndDru1

        My side sucks on most of it’s fiscal policies…there I said it. Awww I feel much better.

  • Alaina

    Maybe Rove found out Lieberman is the pick (I hope not) and that’s why he called him…

    If anyone has inside political info, don’t you think it would be Rove?

  • Brian H

    I hope and pray every day that Camp-Zod-Obama continues the “Bush third term” montra. They have yet to figure out that this election is a referendum on Obama…not Bush..or McCain. The more they talk about Bush the less they are trying to convince the “undecided” that Obama has the resume to be President, which of course we all know he does not.

    Keep It Up, Dems!

    Your decent is fun to watch.

    • J. Shawn Durham

      Ahem.

      It’s deScent, with an ‘s.’ Not ‘decent.’

      By the way, why is it IMMEDIATELY a referendum on Obama? Why shouldn’t there be equal scrutiny on McCain?

      Why does a man who has just recently changed his positions on everything like taxes, foreign policy and the like within 12 months time sudddenly get the benefit of the doubt?

      I understand people don’t know much about Obama. But let’s be honest, a great deal of John McCain’s personal life is a fog to us. He doesn’t talk about his kids, or growing up, or any work experiences or about his exwife.

      It’s just the same catch all. “I was a POW.”

      In fact, how can he even utter that when Katie Couric asked him how he couldn’t keep track of the houses he has? That answere is started to become a catch-all crutch that is cheapening the sacrifice of him and his fellow vets kept behind enemy lines.

      This election — and EVERY ELECTION — should be about BOTH CANDIDATES. It’s ignorant to blindly think otherwise.

      • AndDru1

        I understand that both of the candidates should be under the highest form of scrutiny.

        We should be hearing more about Obama’s racist church, his friendship with the guy that blew up the U.S. Pentagon, his exchange of political favors for a good deal on his house, his not saluting the flag, and his suggesting that the most Americans are bitter simpletons who cling to their God and their constitutional rights.

        …Oh, and we probably should be hearing about how many houses John McCain legally owns too. (since it’s such a scandal and all)

        Having been involved in a life-altering event myself, though not something as traumatic as say: BEING TORTURED AS A PRISONER OF WAR. I can understand how that event shapes every part of McCain’s life.

        He’s not using it as a ‘crutch’ as you suggest, he’s waking up every morning, with the pain and scares that he still bares and is doing his best to rise above it. And I would say that he’s doing a darn good job of it, since he’s a top contender for President of the United States and all.

        It’s going to be something that plays a part in his every thought, feeling, understanding, and action. Deal with it.

        It’s perfectly legitimate for him to respond to questions about whether or not he can empathize with hurting Americans, by reminding everyone that he too has been through his share of struggles.

        What’s truly despicable is the fact that he was being characterized as this golden-spoon fed elitist who never had to struggle for anything, when the Obama camp knows that because of his service to the American citizens, his body, life, and mind will never be the same.

        McCain isn’t perfect, he can actually be a jerk sometimes, but he’s a human being. Your lack of compassion and understanding about his suffering only hurts your candidate and his cause.

      • JE

        It is a referendum on Obama because in his own words, “We are the ones we have been waiting on.”
        He has made it a referendum by playing up being ‘The One’.

  • kristen

    Is he sending out a text message? How do I get on that list? ;-)

    • Redstate Eddio

      Ha! No, a postcard will go in the mail at 3AM on Friday…

      Remember, J-Mac old school. He can’t do all that “computer email stuff.”

      • JK

        Look for the white smoke out to come out of the chimney at one of his seven houses.

  • http://yesletstalkaboutthis.wordpress.com Jonathan

    The larger issue is the wholesale adoption of Rovian tactics ushered in by, Steve Schmidt worked with Rove in 2004. Why make fusses about gossamer links to Rove when all you have to do is look at McCain’s campaign recently?

  • Patrick Keegan

    This is off topic, but I really wanted to share this little gem I found, but didn’t think it warranted its own post.

    Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal has a nice running recap of the Convention going, and shared this great line:

    By the way, the best line of the convention so far? Ted Strickland of Ohio, when he echoed the 1988 Democratic convention joke about George H.W. Bush, that he was born on third and thought he hit a triple. Strickland said of George W. Bush that he was born on third and then stole second. It didn’t get much attention in any of the commentary, but it’s all people were talking about in the bars of Denver that night.

    ZAP!

    • Gary Russell

      That’s a tired old joke that they’ve used before.

      Old habits die hard – they tried for eight years and two elections to convince people that Bush is stupid. It didn’t sell in 2000, it didn’t sell in 2004, and it is actually kinda pathetic that they’re still trying it, even though he’s not running in 2008.

      But, I’m glad that they haven’t learned any new tricks. Makes ‘em easier to defeat!

      • Patrick Keegan

        And you are the classic example of why the nation is trending to the left.

        You are inflexible and intolerable.

        Hey, you stand for what you believe in, and that’s great.

        But democracy is about what the majority thinks.

        Only 20% of the nation agrees with you that abortion is wrong in all forms.

        Only 35% of the nation believes that same sex marriage should be banned.

        Only 20% opposed that people should have to register guns. 14% oppose a waiting period for guns.

        Only 30% oppose stem cell research.

        Enjoy the minority.

        • AndDru1

          God loves you too.

          “Only 35% of the nation believes that same sex marriage should be banned.”

          Oh ok, that’s why it’s only legal in two states in the union. And why most states have already banned it.

          They couldn’t even do a fair ballot in the two states that it’s legal. California already voted against same-sex marriage once and they’ll ban it again in November. They won’t even let Massachusetts vote on it.

          Curious, did you hear those jokes at a gay bar?

  • Troy La Mana

    The reverse could be said. Rove not making any headway in heading off a Lieberman pick shows that McCain is his own person and not linked to this administration.

    • Patrick Keegan

      Oh, I agree Troy, but if McCain does pick Lieberman, everything changes.

      Lieberman certainly puts more independents in play, but he also may chase a lot of conservatives to Bob Barr or just into staying at home.

      If he doesn’t pick Lieberman, the Obama campaign can spin that into “Karl Rove has influence over the campaign”.

      • AndDru1

        Patrick Keegan: “If he doesn’t pick Lieberman, the Obama campaign can spin that into “Karl Rove has influence over the campaign”.”

        Nice to see you admitting that it would be nothing but spin.

        • Patrick Keegan

          Sure it’s spin, but McCain’s done plenty of spinning on his own.

          Politics is spin, pointing it out is like saying “Wow, they use a puck to play hockey?!?”

  • AndDru1

    I don’t have any problems with Schmidt working for the campaign. I WISH Rove was working for Mac Daddy’s camp. He’s a freakin’ genius! (even if he has become nothing more than a human talking point for the Republican establishment).

  • Patrick Keegan

    Rove may be a genius, but when someone becomes a lightning rod at that level, his negative public persona may do more damage than the politics he plays.