KARL ROVE'S WEIRD-ASS PERSONAL DAMAGE CONTROL SCHTICK

There was a rather pointed criticism of the McCain media strategy on one of the Sunday news shows:

“McCain has gone in his ads one step too far, and sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100 percent truth test.”

This wasn't a Democratic strategist, however. This was Karl Rove speaking, on wouldja believe of all broadcasters, Uncle Rupe's one and only Fux News Network.

To read the words in plain text, the observation doesn't seem too earth-shattering, as a matter of fact it looks almost sort of wishy-washy in its sentiment. But actually seeing Rove speaking these words, if you know him like most of us old enough to have voted in 2000 know him, is truly a surreal moment. And about three seconds later or so, you're scratching your head and saying, "Wait a minute, something is definitely going on here." At least that's what I was thinking.

So what's the deal, Mr. Rove? Hearing somebody with the reputation as the man who (ha, ha, allegedly) brought you the Plame Affair talking down on his party's presidential nominee like this is to be taken with a grain of salt. Oh Hell, just take it with the whole freshly opened cylinder of Morton's.

This is like if Tex Winter went forward to the press after Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals and was saying, "You know what? That triangle offense is completely useless, and Phil Jackson never should have ever put it into the playbook." Perhaps Mr. Rove is reading the writing on the wall and realizes that the bump caused by Schlafly of the Arctic's surprise appearance isn't going to last through November. The G.O.P. can't keep up this mantra of bullshit sound bites on the campaign trail without enough of the electorate (hopefully) waking up and smelling it sooner or later. And besides, it's not like Karl Rove was on very friendly terms with the Senator from Arizona to begin with, anyway.