Karl Rove spoke to the University of Miami community this past Thursday. MEGAN TERILLI // HURRICANE STAFF.
Karl Rove, one-time deputy chief of staff to former President George W. Bush, spoke to a jam-packed Storer Auditorium at the University of Miami Thursday afternoon.
After a brief opening speech, Rove transformed the event into an open forum during which audience members could ask him a question or engage him in a debate.
The “campaign architect,” as he is commonly called, built a case against President Barack Obama’s order to close Guantanamo, an overseas CIA detention center where terrorists and other “enemy combatants” are held. Obama’s order could enable terrorists to be tried in U.S. courts, to be given undeserved rights afforded American citizens and could cause damaging long-term effects, Rove said.
“One year from now, Gitmo won’t be closed,” Rove said. “If it is, there will be an uproar in the U.S. about where to put these people.”
Interrogation tactics used by the CIA during Bush’s term in office were not torturous, Rove said, but he did not deny that the CIA strongly pressed terrorists for vital information.
“You bet we squeeze them for information,” Rove said. “If we hadn’t, those same terrorists could have executed their plans to kill, and [people] would be asking why Bush didn’t protect American soldiers’ lives.”
A heated exchange erupted between Rove and senior Corey Ciorciari, a longtime intern for the Obama campaign. Cioriciari asked about the ethics of using “fear and deception” as governing tactics.
Rove called Ciorciari’s accusation “cynical and callous.”
“Was it creating fear when we got reports that Saddam Hussein stores secret supplies for chemical weapons, that he had a willingness to use destruction, that he was developing and seeking weapons – that he was an imminent threat to the U.S.?” Rove asked. “These are not quotes by Bush. They’re quotes by Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Kerry.”
A loud applause erupted from the audience, but Ciorciari was not convinced.
“I think it’s nice he came [to speak] after Obama’s inauguration… It’s a testament to how much this country rejected the last eight years,” Ciorciari later told The Miami Hurricane. “What really struck me is his lack of acknowledgment and disappointment. He never owned up to [the administration's] mistakes. I wish, in retrospect, that I could have said a lot more.”
Other students said they appreciated Rove’s honesty.
“I loved it; he was very informative and very honest about his opinions,” said Sgt. Agbeyegbe Jolomi, a junior who served in Iraq for one year. “I’m happy I came to this event.”
Bush was deeply changed by the Sept. 11 attacks, Rove said, and keeps the badge of a firefighter killed during the rescue effort in his pocket at all times as a constant reminder of his “guiding responsibility to keep the country safe.”
“I know that 9/11 has receded from some people’s minds, but I will tell you it hasn’t left George W. Bush’s mind,” Rove said.
A heartfelt story about Bush’s compassion for the American people and his devastated reaction upon first visiting Ground Zero left many in tears.
“It gave us a new perspective on the Bush administration and the decisions they made,” senior Andrea Whalen said. “If you look at the facts, Bush got an unfair rap. He made a lot of really tough decisions for the best interest of the nation. It was really great when [Rove] finally set the record straight.”
Rove still encouraged attendees to support the new president, stating that he “wishes Obama success.”
“It was fantastic, more than what I expected,” said Remy Flor, a junior and fan of Rove’s. “To see him in the flesh was great, and the presentation reinforced my views.”
Sarah B. Pilchick contributed to this article.
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January 25th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Anyone who says Bush wasn’t affected by 9/11 is so deeply damaged by “Bush Derangement Syndrome” that they cannot possibly admit that the president was a human being with a heart and tears.
Wendy
January 25th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Truth is, none of us has walked in the shoes of President Bush. People on all political sides made harsh judgments without ever considering that the public does not have all the facts. Though I didn’t understand some of his decisions, I trusted that he was acting with integrity and diligence serving his country and her people.
I’m glad that Karl Rove had and took the opportunity to set some of the record straight about President Bush. And also that he pointed out the problems we face with the naive, inexperienced new president.
The only thing I disagree with, and it is a personal opinion, is that we should support the new president and wish him success. I cannot fathom ever standing behind anything this 44th president will ever stand for. I cannot in good conscious wish him success when success with his projected mission is to ruin America. That is “change” I won’t support! We pledge allegiance to our country “under God” and not to any man. How can we support a president who seeks to eradicate the Constitution, our Freedom, our Rights, & our Moral fabric? The 44th president of the USA HATES my America. I hope his evil policies fail miserably because I love my country.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I hope President Bush and his staff can get out more now and go directly to the people with the truth and facts because the kool-aid drinkers in the media are fighting against America.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I guess I’m just an old left-over ‘Reagan-ite’, but I DO wish this country success. That doesn’t however mean I wish this (44th) president success . . . AS a matter of fact, I hope he falls flat on his smarmy, nicotine addicted @**
January 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Sounds like Karl did a lot of good at this thing. It’s amazing how easilythe media distorts the views people have of President Bush. Put somone like Karl in front of them, and just an hour or so of truth, and they see things so differently.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I think what George W Bush did what was necessary and not what he would have wanted. I hope Barack Obama does what is necessary as well.
Many if not most people don’t understand the depth of our problem with Islamic terrorist. Let’s look at some simple math to understand the extent of the problem.
1. There are approximately 1,500,000,000(that’s billion) Muslims in the world.
2. Only 3% are real terrorist or pose a problem – 45,000,000 (that’s millions)
(Even if it is only 1% it is still 15,000,000 (that’s millions)
3. Only 20% of the general Muslim populace support the terrorist 300,000,000 (that’s Millions) and approximately the same number of people living in the US.
4. Hamas (An Islamic extremist group) received 80% vote in Palestine in 2006. The same people that were dancing in the street after 911.
5. Nazi’s only had a 43.9% vote during their strongest year in March of 1933. There were 65,000,000 people living in Germany at that time. So there where 29,892,800 who voted for the Nazi party at its peak.
6. The main goal of Islamic extremist is to eliminate all Jews and then all Christians (Americans and Europeans). Very few in the US or Europe believe this is a problem. They just don’t see how such a large percentage of people could be so finical in their beliefs.
7. Same thing happened before WWII with the German Nazi party. American and Europeans just didn’t believe it would affect them.
8. This problem is far worse that the Nazi threats since Islamic teaching is based on a religion. This means that very few Muslim will change their beliefs or actions because of logic.
I hate it when someone states a problem with no solutions. Below are listed two possible solutions. I’m sure there are many more and variations on these two that would be effective but doing noting is not a solutions.
Only Logical solution is to develop alternate energy sources thereby depriving the terrorist of the source of most of their money.
This does will not eliminate all profits from oil since it has many other uses beside energy generation. But since the need will take a drastic decrease, the amount paid for oil will decrease thereby reducing the amount of money available to Islamic terrorists.
We must also start a satellite propaganda radio and TV broadcast to cover all the Muslim nations. It needs to be in their local language and should have positive stories about the rest of the world outside of the controlled view provide by the dictator or technocratic monarch. People in most Muslim countries are led to believe that they are living in poverty because of the Jews or because of Americans. This gives them someone to hate and blame for their lot in life other than the real villains their rich and greedy religious and political leaders.
These solutions will save many lives in the long run as well as an enormous amount of money. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives that will be lost and the money spent (billions) in the next 50 years in defending ourselves against Islamic violence here and elsewhere.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I only wish Obama success in become a conservative!
January 25th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Karl Rove is exactly right. One of the reasons Israel was able to deal a strong blow against Hamas is that they did not need to worry about chemical weapons coming at them from Iraq. U.S. sacrifice is already improving the politics and stability of the region.
January 25th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
It seems like Rove is doing a good job of sticking to his guns, but that ultimately he’ll have to own up to the mistakes the Bush administration made in Iraq. After the rejection the American people have handed the Republican party in the last two elections, won’t ambitious party members begin to look elsewhere than to Rove for a strategy and a framework?
January 25th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Democrats never change, no facts and figures….just feel good talking points.
Obamafan Ciorciari didn’t have anything interesting to say just same old tired talking points:
“It’s a testament to how much this country rejected the last eight years,” (never heard that before)
“He never owned up to [the administration's] mistakes” (Wow..what an original thought)
I do agree Ciorciari on one point:
“I wish, in retrospect, that I could have said a lot more.”
I wish you would have more too, like what he or any of the other talking point robots have done since 9/11 to keep us safe.
Yes…my Audacity of Hope is that the democrats will stifle the talking points, stop blaming Bush for everything and get busy cause there is plenty to do and the ball is in their court.
Now there’s Change we REALLY need.
Robert
The Lone Republican, continuing my crusade for term limits and Citizen legislators…Not Career politicians
January 25th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Looks like Barack is off to a great start, on track to keep his word and restore some international credibility for the US
January 25th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
It must be encouraging to see many who are supportive and show up in mass for a meeting of this nature! Thank you for bringing the truth to young Americans! I also appreciate that you opened the meeting into a question and answer forum! Go Karl!
January 25th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Wow, conservatives on college campus? Amazing that no Muslim groups interrupted this speech…now if people will just wake up to the threats this country faces internally as well from foreign terrorists…Obama may think the war on terror is over & Gitmo is gone, but the threat is here, it is internal as well…
January 25th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Karl Rove is wrong. I don’t believe any of his predictions. He’s just a hack.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Obama says it will take 16 months to bring the troops home from Iraq, but 12 months to move a few hundred prisoners from the human dog kennel at Gitmo. You do not have to be Karl Rove to know there is something fishy going on with Obama’s pledge. If Obama does not have a plan by now to execute his campaign promises on Gitmo then you have to wonder if he really meant it. Did he just issue the executive order to placate and deceive? Also, I do not why Republicans are so upset with Obama’s foreign policy. He is a regular Democrat, he says the opposite of what Republicans say, but in the end he supports Republican policies. Don’t worry Republicans he will surge in Afghanistan, attack Pakistan and bomb Iran.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Karl Rove’s parlor tricks get him out of a real discussion on Bush’s legacy. Stop the presses!
y a w n
January 25th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
“Janet”, if you want to talk about somebody who’s smarmy and nicotine addicted, you need go no further than House Minority Leader John Boehner. As someone who’s spent time with him within his private inner office, BELIEVE ME, you have no idea how HE fits your description far better than Barack Obama.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I’m sorry but this Rovian mindset has been proven to be deadly, dangerous, immoral, unethical and incompetent. The former president failed his task of protecting the country, managing the economy, keeping the Constitution and at every other duty he was sworn to carry out. There has never been such an incompetent and unworthy man as chief executive of the nation, and God willing there never will be again. Most of those poor Florida students are so brain washed that they wouldn’t know an imbecile from a idiot if they fell over (Bush) him. Rove will continue his foolish attempts at revisionary history lessons until he finally ends up in prison hopefully with his erstwhile boss. The sooner the better.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Wow, was this a Young Republicans meeting? I find it hard to believe that the comments here represent anything close to a real question to the “Legacy Project” of GWBush. The vitriol and hatred of Obama in these comments is a great concern.
Obama has been in for one week and his journey to correct the horrifying mismanagement of Rove/Cheney and Spokespuppet Bush will haunt this country for many years to come.
Since you are at a University, it should be easy to find well reasoned information. Plenty of facts – just not the ones Rove keeps peddling. Someone above stated “Democrats – no facts, no statistics, just lies” Dude, you are looking in the mirror. The facts bear out the positions that Democrats and mentally healthy people of all partisan stripes recognize as the reality.
Sorry you are disappointed that the Democratic process worked. Now, try to be part of the solution instead of demanding that we support Rove and his filthy legacy.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Karl Who? Just why is this person’s opinion of any value?
January 25th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Karl’s been so “right” these past 8 years that I guess Gitmo closing within the year is in the bank.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Rove is a propagandist. The evidence is rather clear that he used to U.S. Justice Department to pursue political prosecutions. Then he ignored a lawful subpoena to testify before Congress. He desires no consideration as a credible commentator on the issues of the day. Liar, Liar….
January 25th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
The Bush administration manipulated intelligence (and ignored contradictory intelligence) in order to “make a case” against Saddam. They played on people’s fears after 9-11 to gin up public support for an invasion of Iraq. The intelligence proved to be mostly untrue. They can’t just blame the CIA for that. They should be held accountable.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
If Guantanamo is still open 1 year from now, I pray to God that this war criminal’s name will appear on the torture camp’s roster alongside of his Bushco partners in crimes.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Iraq war was efficient way to funnel our tax money to subcontractors – cronies of Cheney, Rumsfeld etc. As by product, not worth of consideration for these crooks, a few million people had their lives destroyed, and a few hundred thousands were killed. Also, along the way, oil companies made good profit, and Iran and Russia got stronger (many in Russia openly thanked Bush for his stupidity from the very beginning).
I do not see yet anybody who voted for Bush once or twice trying voluntarily submit some money to some compensation fund, to cover at least some guilt. Probably it is not in their ‘values’ system.
We must be thankful to 23 senators who voted in 2002 against that authorization of force resolution. Their names will stay in history. Wish there would be more like them.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I can’t believe people allow this DEVIDER near their children. What Republicans don’t want to acknowledge is that when Bush entered office in 2000 the intelligence clearly stated that Bin Laden was DETERMINED to attack the US. BUSH ROVE and CHENEY IGNORED that intelligence. Bush is NOT the ONLY one who was “changed” after that attack! So were WE who LIVE and WORK in downtown Manhattan. Bush didn’t come into office AFTER 9 11 he was supposed to protect us FROM 9 11. Americans need to acknowledge that and then MOVE ON! I feel sorry for Bush but I feel sorrier for this country that he left in a SHAMBLES. THE TRUTH HURTS!
January 25th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Sounds like Bush has recruited Rove to help with his foundering “legacy campaign.” I hope Prez Obama will see the wisdom of holding at least Bush and Cheney legally responsible for their many crimes, if not the underlings who followed their flawed orders. Bush thought he was above the law, but Obama certainly knows better.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Rove is a pathalogical liar. The mere face that he was able to manipulate a whole hoard of malleable college minds into thinking Bushes presidency was actually legal is not surprising.
I can only pray that Eric Holder gets confirmed sooner or later so we can finally put Mr. Potato head where he belongs in jail!
January 25th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
The losing team is so bitter. They “support the new president and wish him success”. That repeated thought only supports terrorists. Divide and conquer always works. Besides, Bush, who spent more time at Camp David, instead of at work, was the president who “seeks to eradicate the Constitution, our Freedom, our Rights, & our Moral fabric”.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Well, Karl, Gitmo may not be closed, but if there’s any justice in the world, you’d be in it.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Carl Rove is totally out of it these days and cannot seem to accept his non-important status. Who cares what he says anyway. Even when he was involved with an active administration, he flunked out and we are all so sadly aware of the criminal-type behavior he always espoused. For him to insinuate himself into things now when he is so totally passe’ is so Carl Rove. But the point is, who cares what he thinks. This guy had such a miserable record so we are loathe to even pay one scintilla of attention to him! Juast go away, Carl!
January 25th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
What a hero, that karl, “you bet we squeeze them for information…” right, you did a lot of squeezing yourself, I’ll bet. A hero in his own mind. Any individual, completely without guilt or not but kept in Gitmo for 1-7 years or more will surely be dangerous after that. It’s hard to imagine the mindset after this crap. Having undergone SERE training, there is NO information provided through torture. Only ANY type of BS that will stop said torture.
What a crock the whole “global war on terror” is and what a fake yet dangerous administration bush and rove ran.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Georgie just gets a bad rap, he has a firefighter’s badge in his pocket.
It’s not his fault health care has become much less affordable, middle class and working class wages have dropped, retirement plans have been shredded, soldiers have been electrocuted by American contractors, our soldiers and CIA personnel have tortured, New Orleans has been neglected and wronged. That stuff just happened.
I’m sure he has the medical bracelet of a child who died without proper health care, and a medal of a retired Navy man from New Orleans who died there.
He’s really just a brilliant plutocrat, the rich are generally richer. Well, they were.
It was an awful admin, maybe the worst. We do not torture, we only waterboarded a few times. Shaking my head. Hey but KBR and Exxon are fine.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Jam-packed? What did Karl do, bus in all the 1st graders from Dade County?
January 25th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
The arrogance of this man is astounding. This man whose boss couldn’t stop campaigning long enough to govern. This man whose administration lowered the bar on competence so far as to leave a city swimming in flood waters and an economy swimming in debt and recession. This man whose disregard for human suffering and the rule of law is lucky he, himself, is not behind bars.
This man whose every prognostication about the wishes of the American people and the success of the administration he served has absolutely no credibility when it comes to predicting the future. He has no regard for reality and no standing as an “expert” on anything but his own failed ideology. Go home, Karl, have a few more pork rinds, and watch an adult, a real leader take this country back from the narrow-minded, self-absorbed, neocon ideologues who brought us to the brink of the disaster. Go home and ponder the fact that it was your pal, George, who inherited a thriving economy and sold it out to his greedy friends, who whistled in the breeze while a handful of terrorits flew planes into the Twin towers, then used the tragedy as an excuse to lead us into a war of choice based on twisted intelligence and even more twisted reasoning.
Go home, Karl, because we’re onto you and your kind. We see you for who you are and soundly reject your agenda. Look at the scoreboard. You lost. Do at least one thing right. Pack up your bags, go home, and for God’s sake, put a sock in it!
January 25th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Also, I have no idea why armed personnel can guard a terrorist in Cuba but not Kansas or New Mexico. The terrorists can then stop bullets? Maybe because we’re violating international law and need secrecy?
But then, why would they all be so opposed to investigations… if they’ve done nothing wrong, why not investigate/interview? Why can’t they testify honestly? Don’t they love America enough to tell us?
January 25th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
“Rove called Ciorciari’s accusation “cynical and callous.”
“Was it creating fear when we got reports that Saddam Hussein stores secret supplies for chemical weapons, that he had a willingness to use destruction, that he was developing and seeking weapons – that he was an imminent threat to the U.S.?” Rove asked. “These are not quotes by Bush. They’re quotes by Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Kerry.””
But you see this is part of the special BS almost all of these creeps spout.
Slick Willie was no Democrat. He was a centrist globalist who bought the party on the cheap with a singly bone, the privacy right we call “the right to choose.”
On all else he was a traitor to the people: He exported wealth and jobs, was a zit on the environment, ignored unions… And he rolled over on welfare, healthcare, and education.
And how ’bout that energy policy! NOT…
We haven’t had any choices until now. Let’s Hope “O” stays as true as he can to the people’s agenda instead of listening to those old tired 60′s freaks…
January 25th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Iam shocked and amazed that anyone, let alone college students would believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Karl Rove. He is a liar and a deceiver. He along with his “crew” George W. and Dick Cheney are responsible for perpetrating the biggest lie ever told. (Sadaam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction).These men have the blood over 4000 young Americans on their hands. I don’t know if Gitmo will be closed in one year, I tend to think President Obama will be a man of his word. What I do know however, is that Bush, Rove and Cheyney will one day burn in hell!!!
January 25th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Why would anyone give any credence to a word that Rove has to say? Rove engineered the most disasterous presidency since WWII – and nows skips away like he’s some political genius – and the rest of us are left to clean up yet another Bush mess. There’s a special place for folks like Rove – he’ll be in good company with his buddies – the faux christian bush and slimeballs like Rumsfeld.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
karl rove…
over 100,000 in stocks..
he also was involved heavily in the enron scandal..
remember that one.
check out bbc.com, and click on
who’s who
on the enron scandal..
There is also a whole list of bodies connected to this fellow.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
In response to a prior comment asking “I wish you would have more too, like what he or any of the other talking point robots have done since 9/11 to keep us safe.” The posters poor use of the language makes it difficult to accurately assume that it is a framed question, but, I will respond as if it is.
This talking point robot joined the Army and volunteered to join the spearhead against a foe of the United States. Only to find out, upon arrival, that it was a collossal waste of time, money and sacrifice in the form of comrades — men and women better than any of you who have never committed yourselves to put on the uniform, killed.
Each and every one of you, tossing insults at each other about who is on the right side of being right, precariously based on political party affiliation, need to learn that we are all Americans. We need to work together. And then you will realize what a soldier on the frontline has come to learn too well; politics be damned, we are in this fight only for each other.
Move forward, do your best and work with one another.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
oh ya..
speaking of dead bodies…
try these:
Ray Lemme
Deborah J palfrey (the DC Madam)
Athan Gibbs (auto accident)
Don C wiley
Don McCoy
Enron’s Cliff Baxter
Mel Carnahan
Paul Wellstone
Mike Connell
January 25th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Karl Rove is evil. He was Rasputin, through and through.He helped engineer the most disastrous presidency and greedy policies in American history. The press should stop giving him credibility and attention. He, along with Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter should all go into the sunset, never to be heard from again…. and the press should focus on the positive forward movements that this new Presidency in working on achieving; true ethical behavior.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Karl needs to get his message out before Eric Holder is sworn in. After that, Karl will be drinking the Kool-aid…eating cornbread…dressed in orange…you get it.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Rove should be in jail! He, Rumsfeld, and Cheney are the biggest crooks this counrty has ever produced. Bush was too dumb to know what was going on with pre 9/11 or didn’t care. The sad thing is I’m no Liberal. I’ve learned to look at the facts and make my decision based upon it. The policies they brought forth killed thousands both here and abroad. In this country people are paying for this “neocon philosopy” by losing their way of life. Also, the rich got richer under Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld. What did the average citizen get? How much are these neocons getting back as rewards for the contracts they rewarded in Iraq. Someone should have asked, why doesn’t Iraq get any of the oil contracts in their own country? I would have loved to hear him weezle his way through that one.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I have never found Rove to be a honest man! while I sympthize with President Bush and the hard choice’s he had to make, he lowed the high standards that America followed for years in interrigation. because of that torture an lower standards the terrorist gave us wrong information to go by. we pre-empted into a war that was based on lie’s from tortureing prisoners/terrorists. We alll sympathized with 9/11, we all cried, as did I’m sure Bush did! But, he had a priviouse agenda to take down Hussien and this gave him the excuse to do it, even against objections that the intellegence was faulty! That same torture of terrorist, embolden soldiers at Gitmo and higher up’s to believe they had the right to torture,humilate and abuse prisoners who could not protect themself, an treated them like animals, instead of humans. I believe Rove tactics to be cunning, unfair, unethical and cross’s the line of what we feel is ethical correct in our society today. he believes in winning at all cost! Even if he has to sale his soul. This is one man I do not truest, and put in the legue with people like sean Hannity and Rush, who all want our president to fail,even if it mean we as a whole country will fall.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Just like his buddy Dick Cheney, Karl Rove belongs under investigation and in court, rather than out talking about why Obama’s policies will fail. Perhaps his “patriotic, support our President, right or wrong” friends at Fox News don’t pay Turdblossom quite well enough. Perhaps Bush’s architect is making hay while he still can, avoiding that pesky subpeona. Obviously, he’s still trying to sell the “We kept America safe” Bush/Cheney legacy tour, missing the point that both 911 and the anthrax attacks occurred eight months into their watch. Suddenly, Mr. Rove is an expert on rendition, unlawful imprisonment, and torture. Of course, Texas good old boy Karl failed to remind his audience that Bush had already released Gitmo prisoners to foreign countries and sent others to federal prisons in CO and other states. Those 61 that they (falsely) claim went back to terrorism? They were released by Bush. I’m not buying what you’re selling, Karl. My money’s on Obama.
Karl, it’s time to take your ball and go back to Texas with the rest of the whiners. Good riddance to the most incompetent, dishonorable, and destructive administration ever!
January 25th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
The job of the POTUS is not to “keep us safe” despite the constant barking from yet-to-be-convicted criminals like Rove (outing an American spy is an act of Treason punishable by death, by the way). It is to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” In this regard Bush’s presidency is an complete failure. (And with soldiers still dying your safety argument is absurd at best.) As I recall we defeated Fascism in approximately 45 months while the current “war on terror” has lasted 88 months and counting. This is costing American soldiers their lives, sinking us into a fiscal hole that could take decades to climb out of, while making dubious claims of monarchical powers that make a mockery of our Constitution, destroying the international goodwill the U.S. has created over generations, obliterating our moral defense with unnecessary, illegal and ineffective torture policies and to top it all off Osama Bin Laden IS STILL ALIVE! If that’s the record you wish to stand on…
January 25th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Guantanamo won’t be closed a year from now because Rove and
all his cronies will be in there, if there was nay real justice in the world!
January 25th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I don’t know if Gitmo will be open or closed in a year. The legal black hole Bush created will be something very tricky to navigate. I am sure however Mr. Rove that you will be facing criminal charges in a year!
January 25th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I don’t believe in torture but I would make an exception for Rove and other
Bushies. Just long enough to get the truth, though I doubt the truth could
pass their lips even if tortured.
As for his claim that some of the released rejoined the terrorist, well if
someone locked me up for 5-7 years and tortured me I’d be quite pissed.
Could you really blame them if they became what they were accused of?
Bush and his cronies, including Rove, pissed on our constitution and gave
the one finger salute to the rest of the world. They should all be prosecuted
and jailed. Rove could be someone else’s “bitch” in jail.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Bush and company NEEDED 9/11. Check the PNAC blueprints. It was exactly what they wanted and they had even focused on Iraq way before 9/11 like with Cheney’s energy task force.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
“9/11 hasn’t left Bush’s mind” Gee, what a surprise. You know what they say about criminals, they often return to the scene of the crime. Bush masterminded 9/11 and in his mind, it’s his greatest accomplishment.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:14 am
It’s delightful to see Rove ousted from having any power and being relegated to giving Q&A’s in gymnasiums…It simply epitomizes the irrelevancy that this man so justly deserves….
January 26th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Whoa! I was getting pretty freaked by those ist few repug comments. So like Rove to send his trolls in to blow his own horn for him. I am really relieved to read the majority of comments from the sane people who voted for and support President Obama. Remember it is “unAmerican” to not support your Prez, right Karl???
January 26th, 2009 at 12:36 am
I’m sorry, but the best thing that could happen to the GOP and to America is for Karl Rove to suddenly drop dead. I have never seen so much evil concentrated into one man before. Please, Karl, get ye to hell.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:37 am
I am sorry – believing Karl Rove is crazy! 9/11 was a tragedy, no doubt BUT to squander the opportunity to unite the world and turn to a new direction was a catastrophe!
The American people rejected rightly the legacy of the BUSH years and so the Republicans as this party has bought the greatest nation on earth to its knees. Wrong policies on environment, terror, economy, health, race, stem cell research etc etc, just to name a few areas.
I think the biggest learning is that a President should be above ideology and work for the betterment of the people not in a left or right manner…
January 26th, 2009 at 1:06 am
It’s real important that at a time like this that we stay conservative. It will be a rough 4 years. Palin 2012!
January 26th, 2009 at 1:28 am
I would be curious to read these comments in 4 years. So much hate from people. I would think we are sick of hating people. President Obama did not create the problems the country is facing. My hope is he will have the wisdom he needs to get the country back on safe ground. Guantanimo or anything else won’t matter much if he doesn’t.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:32 am
“preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
has Karl ever even read the constitution?
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
and that is just the beginning…he doesn’t promote ANY of these things!
January 26th, 2009 at 2:09 am
The hate spewed by Obama supporters is amazing. Rove must be silenced!! No conservative voices on a college campus permitted!! Bush is evil and caused 9/11!!
Rove must die!! Bush and Chenney should go to jail!! The U.S. army are the real terrorists!! I wonder often why I never hear such hatred from the left directed at Bin Laden and his ilk? I laugh whenever I read about the left being described as tolerent, open minded and compassionate, unless you dare to disagree with them.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I’m glad that I crossed this school off my list early in the game.
You guys are a bunch of tools.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:14 am
one can only hope that gitmo will stay open – with the inmates comprised of: rove, bush, cheney, rumsfeld, rice, gonzales, ashcroft and well, you get the idea!!
January 26th, 2009 at 2:26 am
So wait, Gitmo detainees have magic powers now?
Throw them in prison in the states, they aren’t going to magically float away or disappear into thin air. Why is everyone so afraid of these people?
Laughable. Oh, and Karl Rove is one of the most despicable human beings on the planet, and calling him a human is giving him the benefit of the doubt.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:28 am
And might I add…
NO MORE POWER FOR THIS MAN! HE IS REDUCED TO A “CAMPUS” TOUR!
WHAT A GRAND DAY!
January 26th, 2009 at 2:34 am
And AMEN to D. Friedman.
Nukes are designed to kill 100′s of thousands. Terrorism is not.
Army brigades are designed to kill 100′s of thousands. Terrorism is not.
Bush did not “keep us safe”, for the aim of terrorism was to alter our freedoms, our way of life, our way of treating each other, etc. and it did just that. Life in the United States has not been the same since 9/11 because Bush allowed us to be TERRORIZED with these orange alerts and duct tape and torture.
George Bush = failure, forever.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:08 am
I kinda like Karl.He and Newt and Mr.Cheney all seem like nice fellows who’d be fun to hang with.Maybe go Wii Bowling with.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:18 am
“RyanD. Says:
So wait, Gitmo detainees have magic powers now?
Throw them in prison in the states, they aren’t going to magically float away or disappear into thin air. Why is everyone so afraid of these people?”
That’s been their strategy for the last 8 years. FEAR. Why is everyone afraid of these people? Because they want us to be. They want us to keep believing these guys are some sort of super weapons sent in by some super evil masterminds that have us by the balls. Which of course they aren’t. They are bunch of primitive cavemen with nothing but antiquated strategies living in caves in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Every person in every nation of the world will always be at some sort of risk from terrorism. This illusion they pull over your eyes and tell you we are going to “defeat” terrorism and be “safe.” Is complete and utter crap. Terrorism has been going on for thousands of years; it’s probably one of the older forms of warfare. Deal with it. The war on terror is nothing more than just another “war on drugs.” Just a slogan to keep people scared so we keep pumping money into their government programs and into ultimately government contractors. It all comes down to money people. They couldn’t care less about you and your family. But they sure do care about those multi-million if not billion dollar contracts to buy fancy equipment and other assorted stuff to keep you “safe.”
January 26th, 2009 at 3:28 am
If Rove’s such a nincompoop, how did he beat the Dems. twice with Bush as Pres? Don’t blame the voters, you gave them a crap alternative both times.
All this commentary about Rove the Criminal, Bushco, etc. is clear evidence of petty minds and nothing but ad hominems (look it up, it’s abig word–don’t forget to spell it correctly if you’re using a computer, illiterates).
You Dims. couldn’t possibly be bothered for any unique ideas re Gitmo, or anything else for that matter, after 8 years of Bush making the decisions you all would have been too meek to make.
Contraceptives and Wash. Mall Memorial grass for a stimulus plan, a “study” re what to do with Gitmo. Sheehs, you’re Savior is making Bush look better and better every day. Keep it up, chumps, and you’ll really ruin the country/economy, and lead us to a Depression instead. And more terror attacks in the US.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:31 am
rovester is laughable. talk about kool-aid drinkers! anyone who listens to his “truth” is drinking it. extreme rt wing conservatives are stiff, close minded people who won’t even begin to think creatively. Oh, I forgot, they don’t know what creative means unless it has to do with lying, and cheating to win elections.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:33 am
OD–you’re an F’n idiot.
When in history have 2 of the tallest buildings in the country been reduced to rubble with thousands inside by an enemy without country or uniform. This has been going on for ever? My ass it has. Drawing these stupid moral equivalencies has always tarnished liberal/Dem. credibility.
I don’t know about you, but when I get on a plane, I think about terrorism, and hope my gov’t is doing everything is can to protect me. If you don’t mind the threat, then you’re a sad person–you’d risk the lives of your family and friends to prove a negative about whether terrorism can really affect you.
Our porous borders, the stealth of the terrorist, and the availability of weapons of immense power in small packages, makes your opinion laughable. Those who will not read, think, confront reality, are doomed to cock up my life, so I resent it terribly.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:34 am
by the way mitchell einstein, bushie is the only one to blame for this economy. the buck stops with him, the “leader”, bub. try opening your mind instead – novel idea. try it you might like it. he he. you gave me a good laugh
January 26th, 2009 at 3:36 am
bugster, we leave the lyin’ cheatin’ election stealing to you guys: ever read about the Governor of Illinois. Pick up the paper son.
Or cheaters like Geithner, or Rangel. Dems. both.
Or, Pres. Johnson in his first Senate bid, or Kennedy in Illinois with the Daley machine.
Or in 2008, the goons outside some of the Phil. precincts not letting Repubs. inside.
How about ACORN.
Pitiful that you can’t muster any FACTS for any of your arguments.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:38 am
bugster, what about Dodd with countrywide–he’s the chief federal oversight over banks? Or Barney Frank and Maxine Waters shouting down admin. officials several years ago when they urged a tightening of lending standards on subprime, prime loans. Pres. Clinton signed Gramm Leach Bliley which deregulated the finance industry.
Jesus God you’re a stupid F’er.
Funny though.
January 26th, 2009 at 5:02 am
I nearly threw up after reading the first several comments.
January 26th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Carl Rove is part of a renegade government that perpetrated a survivalist mentality and used fear to control Americans solely to get themselves elected again. 9/11 happened because they were all not doing their job. They let us down and few are willing to admit this fact. As a cover up they lied about weapons of mass destruction and diverted attention with a senseless war. They were aided by a media concerned with selling fear and war, to sell soap. In this way they helped to create the terrorist menace, which was used to strip the American people of their basic human rights and make their cronies rich in the process. The economic crisis is just part of the bad decisions his regime made. Rove will never have credibility again as far as I am concerned. His regime failed us all miserably. As far as Israel goes they have been complicit in the ‘control by fear’ policy by continuing to stir up things on all their borders. The more problems they have the more dollars the USA will throw at them. Their harsh policies created a Hamas. It behooves both Hamas and Israel to keep hostility alive, because they both receive funds if there is a problem. If there is peace they get nothing. Think about it. it is all about money.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Was Bush affected by 9/11? Of course he was…it’s call GUILT! The whole 8 year obsession with grabbing power and waging war was simply Bush’s compensation for his early failure to protect the country. We needed a man, and we got a boy…a warped, twisted little rich boy with Daddy issues.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Wait, wait… is this the Karl Rove who predicted a year and a half ago that Obama wouldn’t stand a chance against Hillary?
January 26th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Karl Rove is the most Despicable Actor in American History, he should go by the way of a “Benedict Arnold” as he has done against the American People and many other Nations and Nationalities……I Hope God Blesses this president and all he stands for and not the Archaic Philosophy of the “Illuminati” or “Knights of Templar”……..ie: Carlyle Group and More…………………
January 26th, 2009 at 7:23 am
“Bush Derangement Syndrome”
Bush has always been deranged and his syndrome has no cure. The right wing enablers are blind to the destruction and stupidity of the man and his antiAmerican crusade. Rove is the Nazi perpetrator of the worst regime in USA history.
January 26th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Praising Rove for his honesty is like praising Hitler for his peaceful nature.
Rove should be in the Hague standing before a war crimes tribunal instead of spewing his lies in speaking engagements.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:08 am
So, let me ask… is Univ. of Miami a bastion of backwards, jingoistic thinking regarding politics? I would guess so by the relative lack of comments in this school newspaper that might have accurately identified Rove as a chief architect (“Bush’s Brain”) of one of the most godless administrations in American history. Thank God we have someone in Washington now who will not appeal the basest of our emotions but, rather, the best of our American values and aspirations. Is there a place that I can send money to help Guantanamo close? – because that’s the right thing to do. The closure of Guantanamo – may be one of a long string of actions that undo the pejorative legacy of such small, small man and Karl.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Can we get a jailhouse interview with Scooter Libby, too?
January 26th, 2009 at 8:44 am
How many times does Karl Rove have to lie before you people get it? Karl Rove has a career filled with lies and slimey poltical tricks and games. THis man has zero credibility in any discusion of poltics. Until the supporters of the republican party wise up and shows at least an intrest in hearing the truth over “tell them what they want to hear” Rove tactics the party will remain the broken collection of incompitence it has become. We really need this party to rise above the Rove nonsenese and bring something positive to the table.
If the Republicans just being the anti American party they will not help anyone on any side.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:49 am
“It was really great when [Rove] finally ‘set the record straight’.”
No need of further comment, now is there? I’m sure Karl set the ‘record straight’.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Karl Rove will go down as one of the biggest liars in American history. Did he acknowledge that the Guantanamo detainees have been held without ever being charged or tried? Did he remind anyone that this was possible due to the heinous Patriot Act that effectively suspends habeas corpus, which is one of the founding principles of our democracy? Did he discuss rendition — the equivalent of state-sponsored kidnapping that was a policy of the Bush administration? Even criminals and terrorists deserve fair trials, no?
January 26th, 2009 at 8:59 am
“Keep it up, chumps, and you’ll really ruin the country/economy, and lead us to a Depression instead. And more terror attacks in the US.’ -Mitchell
Yes after the policies you support did all these things you warn about you tell us to watch out or changing these policies will get the same results?
Your party already destroyed the economy, already grew government at a record rate, already destroyed a surplus, already created a record defecit, already destroyed the budget, already sstalled on immigration reform, already turned the justice departent into a branch of the lunatic righ wing, already dismissed Habeus Corpus, already dismissed the constitution, already stretched our military, already spent billions of unaccounted money, already commited war crimes, already lied to the American people,etc……
But if we don’t listen to you, the other party MIGHT do these things too?
You can not support crazy and failure and expect your oppinion to be taken seriuosly. You sound like a jailhouse lawer on death row.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Just a small sample of Rove’s reign of error. His “predictions’ are not serious meditations on the future, they are intended to serve immediate political ends. Then he relies on the media memory hole and Fox News to flush it all away and he starts over again.
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/13/rove-failure/
January 26th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Here is the start of the Great American Amnesty Tour 09′. Karl Rove should just go away already. What a crook and a liar. America already sees through your tripe and I only hope the whole lot of Bush’s croonies are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Karl Rove may actually be right for opnce in his miserable life. Gitmo may actually still be open in a year, if only to welcome him, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush and Rice as war criminals of the worst order.
It’s frightening to see so many young people so blinded by the deceptions of the Bush administration and its chief architect, Rove. It makes me wonder how they graduated high school, let alone entered college, if they can’t add two and two and come up with an answer better than an average automaton.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Karl Rove may actually be right for once in his miserable life. Gitmo may actually still be open in a year, if only to welcome him, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush and Rice as war criminals of the worst order.
It’s frightening to see so many young people so blinded by the deceptions of the Bush administration and its chief architect, Rove. It makes me wonder how they graduated high school, let alone entered college, if they can’t add two and two and come up with an answer better than an average automaton.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Under Karl Rove’s beloved Bush Administration, if you are suspected of terrorism – without any proof – you can be arrested and flown to a secret prison overseas and tortured until you confess. You are not entitled to a lawyer or to a hearing or even to confront your accusers. This is known as the suspension of habeas corpus. We have been assured that this would not happen to you if you are an American citizen. Of course the problem is, before you have been arrested and tortured, when exactly do you get to have a hearing to determine if you are an American citizen. We do not carry papers (yet) as they did in Nazi Germany to prove citizenship. (Remember the baby who was detained at the airport because the 8 month old baby had a name similar to someone on the terrorist watch list? DO not give government too much credit for intelligence or even common sense.)
All governments make mistakes and often. To deny someone a lawyer and a hearing/ trial is barbaric. This period will come to be known as the 8 years America died. Hopefully, though I am not certain, The Bill Of Rights will be restored – but it doesn’t seem Obama or anyone else is too anxious to issue that executive order. We are not out of the woods until they do.
True Patriots Defend The Constitution. We must repeal the Patriot Act and jail members of the Bush Administration who committed war crimes and treason.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Anyone notice that the very first posts were all pro Rove/Bush…everything to follow were more sane. Looks like the FLorida trailer trash were up early.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Somebody please introduce Karl to Dexter the next time he’s down in Miami.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Wow. UM has got the Young Republicans out in force on this one. Seems they brought out their parents too. Let’s see…Karl Rove “slams” a college student in a debate framed to give him a platform to continue to serve as lead apologist for HIS and former President Bush’s legacy and the gallery goes wild. What a surprise.
Bush won two elections. The most recent on the back of the ‘ol “vote for me or you’ll die stump”. Those who voted him either drank that kool aid or are entrenched red-laundry-rooting Republicans who think political parties and elections are sports teams and immaterial sporting events.
Did Bush have tough decisions to make? Of course he did. That was indeed his job. But so many of them were the wrong decisions precipitated not because he was a conservative/republican but because he and his cronies (like Rove) had a warped idea of governance. It was all about dubious political capital, gut feelings and lasting majorities.
Get real. get some objectivity.
January 26th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Corey Ciorciari comes across as a typical Obama Kool-aid drinker. Will he own up to the fact that on Day 2 of Obama’s Presidency 10 civilians were killed in Afghanistan by a military drone? Does this make his hero a murderer? Does this mean that Obambi is slaughtering innocents? This is the type of insane nonsense that Bush has to deal with from the likes of Corey Ciorciari.
January 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Karl Rove may well be the nucleus of a Republican “brain trust” in exile. Rush Limbaugh is already the target of Obama’s wrath, as is Sean Hannity. I wonder if the Dems will try to take on talk radio?! My guess is no way….
It’s good to see a college newspaper that treats Bush and Rove fairly, without the screechy ideology common for the creepy undergrads trying to mau-mau the flak catchers. I think U of Miami is better than the Ivy League pass-fail diploma mills…
January 26th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Let’s face facts on Obama. He is a trial lawyer, the worst kind of politican. They have the same qualities and skill set as used car salesmen and more importantly, professional confidence men.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
How can anyone in their right senses wish that President Obama fail. How can anyone in their right frame of mind say that the President of the US wants to “eradicate the constitution,our freedom,our rights,&our moral fabric”. People with such ideas either do not or have never seen or read the US constitution, or are simply racist. Yes,I hear echos of the same bigotry and twisted logic that some Americans employed to subdue and subjugate their fellow citizens for centuries.
Americans should go back and read, and re-read the constitution and make an effort to understand what it contains therein. Don’t allow this country to recede to the era when what was practiced was not what was contained in the constitution.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Thank you for reporting this story the way a Journalist should.
It makes me proud that the University Newspaper can cover something as important as this without being biased as the Main Stream Media often is.
There is hope for the future in media…if the facts are reported and the people then decide.
Elliot Lazarus
UM School of Communications 1968
January 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Why isn’t Karl Rove in prison?
January 26th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
“I know that 9/11 has receded from some people’s minds, but I will tell you it hasn’t left George W. Bush’s mind,” Rove said.
If I were responsible for the deaths of 3,000 people I’d be thinking about it a lot too.
January 26th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
It’s great that The University actually took the time to tell the student population about Rove coming to campus! I would have loved to see him speak… Thanks UM!
January 26th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Rove is perhaps the most disgusting person from the Bush/Cheney administration. I wonder how much money he was paid to flap his lips at the University?
January 26th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Wow, the vitriol & personal attacks from the The Messiah’s worshipers are unflattering. Seems the leftist indoctrination at Our Universities has only taught you what to think (ie republicans & conservatives are evil) Yet not one of you can debate & think for yourself without this child-like boorish ranting. By the way….being a critic of President Barak Hussian Obama does not make one a racist. The only racist here was the one claiming racism when it was simple dissent. shame on you for acting like AP Obama did the last 2 plus years.