Commentary

Farewell, Turd Blossom- by Greg Strid

Farewell, Turd Blossom!

Karl Rove, the boyish-looking political strategist widely
believed to be Bush’s brain announced his departure
on Monday in front of a rather stunned collection of the
news media. Mr. Rove said that he will be resigning from
his position as deputy chief of staff at the end of the month.

The political tactics that Rove employed may have marked
a low point in the behavior of American politicians; at least
that is what I hope is the case. He was widely believed to
be the mastermind behind Bush’s rise to the Oval office;
Rove was with him from the early days when Bush defeated
Ann Richards to secure the governorship of Texas.

Karl Rove’s methods often displayed a disregard for
Republican principals, and his no-holds barred approach
to politics focused only on short-term electoral results,
and not on the longer-term moral and ethical consequences
that his methods would have on how the public viewed
public servants. His sleazy methods resulted in electoral
victories, and in the zero-sum theater of politics, that is all
that seemed to matter.  Bush actually referred to his buddy
Karl as “turd blossom”, which comes from his ability to
thrive in excrement-filled environments. (It must be noted
that W. considers this an extremely heartfelt compliment.)

Rove would not be deterred by actions that seemed to
undercut his own party’s ideals and core beliefs. A prime
example of this occurred when the Bush administration
slapped tariffs on foreign steel manufacturers ahead of
the 2002 midterm election in order to secure votes in
states that are home to the shrinking domestic steel
industry. Free market ideals can easily be discarded if
seats in the House and Senate are at stake.

The most glaring example of his “take no prisoners”
approach to campaigning was on vivid display in the
Presidential election of 2004, when John Kerry’s war
credentials were questioned by Republican-sponsored
veterans. Even if there were questions as to the exact
sequence of events on the swift boat Kerry commanded
in Vietnam, he volunteered to serve, whereas the
President chose to sit the conflict out in the Air National
Guard. The end result of this vulgar campaign technique
was the discrediting of a veteran, and the acceptance of
a man who chose to avoid service by utilizing political
connections (compliments of Papa Bush). Although funded
by the likes of Bob R. Perry, a wealthy Houston-based
homebuilder and Republican financier, this operation
would not have gone forward without the “turd blossom’s”
knowledge and blessing.

Rove alone is not responsible for the steep decline in
American political civility. He is more of a symptom
than the disease itself. A man so loathsome would find
no home in a society that honored morality and basic
ethical standards. The real reasons for his departure may
never see the light of day, and unfortunately, his absence
may mark the White House’s preparation for the
intensification of the war with Congress over executive
power. The history books will undoubtedly mention the
career of this bottom-feeding, dung-slinging political
operative, but only as an anecdote to the underlying
narrative of a prolonged period of American society’s
decline.

© Greg Strid 2007

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