The Rove Legacy: Mistrust, Fear, and Death

Karl Rove, dubbed Bush's "brain," and the "architect" of Junior's pseudo-reelection, is in the process of leaving the White House. As former North Carolina senator, (and my choice at the moment for president), John Edwards said yesterday, "Goodbye, good riddance."

As I suffered through the cable news talking heads (like creepy Chris Matthews) lauding praise on the biggest, fattest rat in the sinking ship-of-fools they call the Bush administration I took delicious pleasure in the caveats that were inevitably added. After all, regardless of any previous successes, Rove leaves the White House with Junior's approval rating somewhere south of 30%, and with the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years. The fruits of the tree of Karma are often bitter.

For those of us who have never, ever trusted Junior Bush, Karl Rove is the dark heart of evil; the Dr. Moriarty behind all the administration's evil doings; the amoral vampire who will unhesitatingly kill and destroy to acquire power.

As we bid Rove one final, long-fingered salute as he climbs into his sarcophagus to hide from the sunlight of congressional investigations, let's look at the three gifts he has imparted to us with his machinations:

1. Mistrust: Back in 2004, pundits could often be heard to anguish that the country was polarized. The level of vitriol in the presidential campaign was disgusting. But that was the "architect's" plan all along: divide and conquer. Stir up filthy lies about John Kerry's military service, rile up the ignorant masses (whom Rove himself holds in contempt) against gays, question the patriotism of Democrats. Well, congratulations, Karl: it worked. Junior was either reelected or came close enough to it that he could cheat and get away with it. But those ugly seeds you planted in that election grew and bore fruit. You and Junior earned the eternal hatred of the people you slandered, and as the incompetence of the administration came to light, there were only those few ignorant believers left to pray for you. Meanwhile, the American people are still divided and mistrustful of one another. Good job!
   
   
2. Fear: Please refer to my earlier post, The GOP Trifecta of Fear. Rove did everything he could to keep anxiety about terrorists at high levels. And he succeeded spectacularly. Americans today are more afraid of death at the hands of terrorists than of all manner of more likely but less spectacular demises. Meanwhile, and as a result of this fear, nearly a trillion dollars have been burned in Iraq while our infrastructure crumbles and our nation's financial health is destroyed. Kudos, Karl!
   
   
3. Death: Two wars. One arguably justified, but incompetently managed. The other not only incompetently managed, but pursued for blatantly political purposes. As of today American casualties in Iraq are 3694; reported Iraqi civilian casualties are approximately 70000. There does not appear to be any hope of an end to the violence in Iraq and Afghanistan in the foreseeable future. Karl Rove can put a notch on his belt for each and every one of the deaths that come as a result of the policies he worked to enact. Yay, Karl!
   

Karl Rove may not be the first or even the most heinous of American villains to leave power with the country reeling from his noisome blood-stink. But he is the villain I know. I earnestly hope that somewhere in the deepest recesses of his rotted soul, a worm of regret has begun to stir. As Rove sits musing in the dark center of his webs of lies and hatred, may that worm awaken and grow strong. May it eat at his heart; may it leave him alive, but dessicated; may it be with him always, that he may helplessly contemplate his crimes as he descends to his inevitable and unenviable fate.