Can it be true? Rove has least political authority since he came to D.C.?

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Rove’s Word Is No Longer G.O.P. Gospel
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: September 2, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 — Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, is struggling to steer the Republican Party to victory this fall at a time when he appears to have the least political authority since he came to Washington, PARTY OFFICIALS said.

Mr. Rove remains a dominant adviser to President Bush, administration officials say. But outside the White House, as President Bush's popularity has waned, and as questions have arisen among Republicans about the White House's political acumen, the party's candidates are going their own way in this difficult election season far more than they have in any other campaign Mr. Rove has overseen.

Some are disregarding Mr. Rove's advice, despite his reputation as the nation's premier strategist. They are criticizing Mr. Bush or his policies. They are avoiding public events with the president and Mr. Rove.

Influential conservative commentators have openly broken with the White House, calling into question the continued enthusiasm of evangelicals, economic conservatives and other groups that Mr. Rove has counted on to win elections. . Some Republicans are ignoring Mr. Rove's efforts to hold the party together on issues like immigration and Iraq.

In a reflection of this difficult environment, the White House has decided to concentrate nearly all of its resources on the critical fight to keep control of Congress, party officials said, largely stepping away from the governors' races, at least for now....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/washington/03rove.web.html?ei=5094&en=ace162f43b729e50&hp=&ex=1157256000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all

[Rosemary2205]

1. NYT dropped the ball - again

As was also pointed out in GD, R's were given White House permission months ago to disagree on immigration and Iraq. A fact the NYT seems to have forgotten.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. No shit .....

The whole notion that Rove has somehow been pushed aside is EXACTLY what they want the country to think.

Fucking New York Times .........

[rocktivity]

3. How do we know this isn't more propaganda?

What better cover would Rove have than to be "free" to gear up his pre-midterm election tricks!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Monkeyman]

4. You have just seen his work Rummy's statement to fire up their base

Backfire but he will keep hitting like the new terror tape this weekend. Rove figer prints all over this one

[GeorgeGist]

5. Oh really...

"In the summer of 2002, after I had written an article in Esquire that the White House didn't like about Bush's former communications director, Karen Hughes, I had a meeting with a senior adviser to Bush. He expressed the White House's displeasure, and then he told me something that at the time I didn't fully comprehend – but which I now believe gets to the very heart of the Bush presidency.

"The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality – judiciously, as you will – we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.'"

on edit : Study away NYT

[Vidar]

6. The puppetmaster is intact regardless of whether the NYT

acknowledges the strings.