Oh, he's still there

In case you thought that the Republican loss of Congress last month meant the end of Karl Rove, guess again:

He's not doing much in public, but behind the scenes, White House political guru Karl Rove is as aggressive as ever in making policy arguments within the administration–and his influence is still pervasive, White House insiders tell U.S. News.

"He's been a big player and he remains a big player," says a senior adviser to President Bush. "He doesn't get everything he wants, but his role has not diminished."

Since the November election, Rove has been promoting the contrarian idea that the Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate not because of Bush's unpopularity or because voters turned against the Iraq war but because congressional Republicans didn't sufficiently live up to their core ideals, such as a commitment to spending restraint, a muscular foreign policy, and strict ethics. In other words, associates say, Rove is arguing that the GOP lost control because congressional Republicans weren't conservative enough.

White House insiders say Bush is counting on Rove, who is the president's main political adviser and deputy chief of staff, to define "common ground" in dealing with the Democrats who now control Congress. In Rove's view, that means the White House shouldn't stray too far from the conservative base and should continue making policy from the political right–and not give too much ground to the Democrats. Rove argues privately that the Dems should also reach out to the White House and that Bush shouldn't do most of the compromising. One of Rove's theories is that the Democrats can be maneuvered into a series of difficult choices next year as they try to enact their legislative agenda and pass the federal budget.

The central choice, according to Rove, will be to cut spending or raise taxes. If congressional Democrats cut spending, their liberal base will be alienated. If they raise taxes, rank-and-file voters will be unhappy. GOP insiders suspect that Rove also had a big hand in distancing Bush from the Iraq Study Group because he believed the bipartisan panel was too critical of current Iraq policy. Rove, insiders say, believes that victory is still achievable and that Bush should pursue it as vigorously as he can.

I never thought I'd say this, but for once I think Captain Codpiece ought to listen to Mr. Rove. Because an intractable, delusional president with a 30% approval rating refusing to compromise, combined with an escalation of an unpopular war, may be just what the doctor ordered for those of us who live in the reality-based community.