On Karl Rove's "utter nonsense"

According to Karl Rove, the greatest and most incredible genius in the whole history of American politics, President Bush's abysmally low approval rating has everything to do with how he's fucked up Iraq and nothing to do with how he's fucked up everything else. (I'm just not in the mood for pleasantries tonight.)

Not that that's how he put it. Here are his words: "People like this president." "They're just sour right now on the war." "There is a disconnect."

Ah, I see. Things are fine, except perhaps for Iraq, and that's that.

E.J. Dionne gets it right: "The problem is not that Rove was off message but that the country has gone off Bush's message, and shows no sign of coming back." And Rove "knows it". (See also Dana Milbank at the Post.)

Steve Benen is more blunt: "This is utter nonsense. Rove can't point to a single report anywhere that supports any of these conclusions. In fact, all available evidence suggests the polar opposite... People 'like him'? They 'feel a connection with' him? I don't think so."

Nor do I. An approval rating hovering around, if not below, 30 percent is about more than just "disconnect". Iraq may have played a big part in Bush's decline, but it's hardly the only problem. How about Katrina, tax cuts for the wealthy, the Dubai ports controversy, the NSA scandal, immigration, Social Security, massive deficits, a prescription drug plan for big pharma, high gas prices, torture, and the corruption of his party? And that's just what comes immediately to mind.

Sorry, Karl. We don't buy it.

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Elsewhere, Newsweek looks at Turd Blossom's "state of mind". Think Progress has more.