Rove Fires Back at Lauer Charge That Bush Admin. 'Took Its Eye Off the Ball' in Afghanistan

Newsbusters.org ^ | 12-1-09 | Geoffrey Dickens

[Justaham]

Previewing the President's speech tonight, NBC's Matt Lauer invited on Karl Rove, on Tuesday's Today show, and pressed the former White House senior adviser if the reason Afghanistan still required the U.S.'s attention is because the previous administration "took its eye off the ball in Afghanistan," and "concentrated too heavily on Iraq." Rove hit back, accusing Lauer and Bush administration critics of "revisionism." And later, when Lauer questioned if there were enough "resources" to counter the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan Rove fired back that any one in the Obama administration was in no position to criticize:

"Well look, first of all, they, resources were sent as they were needed, but I would remind you this, President Obama is in no position whatsoever to criticize what President Bush did. Because in 2007, President Obama, then a member of the United States Senate, voted against war funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. If this was so vital, then why did he not speak out? He was chairman of a committee overseeing NATO. He could have easily called a hearing to say, ‘I'm concerned about this issue.' He did not."

[equalitybeforethelaw]

What little actual history known about bammy is none too good. Tell me again how this clymer was elected??

[NormsRevenge]

He was chairman of a committee overseeing NATO.

—

so he had access to top secret info in 2007 and likely before then as well?

now he has the nukular football.

riddle me this Batman.

[Sacajaweau]

And the dude who bombed the Twin Tower in 1993...He fled to where??

Going to Iraq is called "wisdom"...blocking the back door at a critical time.

People don't realize how close Saddam was to getting out from the UN CONDITIONAL treaty.

Anyone who thinks that Saddam and Usama wouldn't work together is DUMB

[wmileo]

Matt Lauer is a sissy!! Rove put him in his place.

[Republic]

YA GOTTA LOVE KARL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have loved to see lauer's jaw drop when Karl recited Obama's history as a senator to voted AGAINST funding the war in Afganistan and Iraq.

Karl........you are JUST THE BEST and you ALWAYS have been. President Bush pulled in the most intelligent, moral and rascally (:^) ( in a good way ) folks EVER to advise him and work with him...between you and his VP pick...just WOW right there!!!!!

[US Navy Vet]

John McCain

[skeeter]

Thats right, Lauer you punk, blow right over the part about Obama not bothering to utter a peep (let alone attend any related meetings) about Afghanistan while in a position to do so in congress as if it wasn’t said.

[linn37]

What a douche bag Lauer is.

[Anti-Bubba182]

He sure did! I bet he left a mark.

[andy58-in-nh]

The "Bush took his eye off the ball" line is a purposeful diversion; a false accusation promoted by the Left in order to accomplish three simultaneous objectives. It allows Liberals to (a) criticize Republicans for their conduct of the war, (b) make it seem as though Democrats would have done it better, while (c) effectively disguising the fact that these Democrats detest the very idea of American military power and want no part of it in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Obama and the Democrats repeated this line countless times during the 2008 campaign and to significant effect, but of course McCain and his feckless crew never responded to it.

[LibWhacker]

Love it. Lauer taking on Rove is like a teacup poodle taking on a St. Bernard.

[DoughtyOne]

Wasn’t Lauer one of the brain trusts that cast our efforts in Iraq as impossible, doomed to fail, or having already failed?

I’m sure the faithful women who tune him in will grasp at every word he utters, but I sure don’t have any use for him or the Today show.

I sure wish they’d limit their propaganda to a dedicated cable channel, so I could refuse to tune in.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Abdul Rahman Yasin. Came to America on a legitimate Iraqi passport, built the truck bomb to blow up the WTC with KSM's "nephew", and fled to Baghdad -- where he lived for ten years on Saddam's payroll.

But Saddam would never work with al Qaeda, because AQ is Sunni, and Saddam is... uhm... well... Sunni. But secular. Very, very secular. A very secular Sunni -- who built mosques, put "Allah Akhbar" on his flag, required his party officials to attend an islamic university (that he built), broadcast the call to prayer across the country every day and began instituting Sharia law. Of course Saddam would never have anything to do with those AQ radicals. They were like oil and water. That's the ticket.

The scary part is, Americans actually bought this fantasically ridiculous lie. As did many of our isolationist/libertarian/Paulistinian Freepers.

[Republic of Texas]

I don’t discuss politics with my 4 yr old son. Why does Rove bother with Lauer?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Matt Lauer: Hard-Hitting Newsman

[marron]

Saddam is... uhm... well... Sunni. But secular. Very, very secular. A very secular Sunni -- who built mosques, put "Allah Akhbar" on his flag, required his party officials to attend an islamic university (that he built), broadcast the call to prayer across the country every day and began instituting Sharia law.

And famously, supposedly, had the koran written in his own blood. That was one of the stories he spread when he was trying to rebuild his muslim credentials.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

On display at the Mother of All Battles Mosque he had built.

And that's exactly right... all of these overt acts were done to build credibility among the islamists... and for the specific purpose of recruiting al Qaeda into his war against the west. And Americans are too suicidally stupid to see the obvious.

[o2bfree]

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Journalism Lives

Only on