Sunday Morning, What's That Smell?

Photo from lowculture.com

It's the third Sunday morning in August, and there's a smell of Turd Blossoms in the air! Yes, Karl Rove put on his human skin this morning, and split himself into three (at least), to appear on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, and FOX "News" Sunday. He managed to come off less than evil, but not without help from the questioners on those shows.

Once again, during the interviews, and in the post-interview wrap-up on FOX, there seems to be a wink-wink, nudge-nudge, "you sly dog!" sort of attitude toward Rove by the pundit class. They call him a genius, throw a few hard questions (particularly Bob Shieffer), but never get down and dirty where Rove actually operated. The diciest question he had to answer was about the nasty Max Cleland attacks, and he brushed those off, as though he wasn't involved.

What they didn't ask:
- Is there anything you wouldn't do to win an election?
- How many times did you violate the Hatch Act over the last 6 years?
- Is there any action you took in any campaign that you wouldn't want exposed?
- Is the idea of a unitary executive, or a permanent Republican majority in any way American?

There are many more areas they could have pursued, but it probably wouldn't have mattered. Rove has mastered the non-answer that makes the interviewer seem like the bad guy. From now on, if you go on a Sunday political show, and you get a question you don't want to answer? Give a short pause, a withering glance, and then say condescendingly, "nice try." It worked for Rove against David Gregory and Chris Wallace.

Biggest howler: I don't remember what show it was on, but Karl Rove actually stated that George Bush was trying to bring the country together. I actually laughed out loud.