Karl Rove's sly deal with Fox


The GOP mastermind is billed as a top campaign analyst for the cable news network. But he has his fingerprints all over John McCain's White House bid.

By Amanda Terkel and Matt Corley


Read more: Republican Party, John McCain, James Carville, CNN, Fox News, Opinion, Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, 2008 election



Salon composite

Karl Rove

May 20, 2008 | It has now been more than three months since Karl Rove first appeared on television as a Fox News political analyst on Feb 5. In no fewer than 57 appearances, he has increasingly been welcomed into the Fox News fraternity, even joking that the "Hannity & Colmes" show should be renamed the "Colmes & Rove" show. After departing from a Bush administration in political tatters last August, he has reemerged to hold forth at length on the 2008 presidential race. And he may have plenty of seasoned political wisdom to offer Fox's audience. Rove, however, is playing a strategic role that he and the network refuse to reveal to viewers.

Fox News hosts routinely introduce Rove as a "former senior advisor to President Bush," "the architect," a "political wizard" and a "famed political consultant." But never has he been introduced as he should be -- as an informal advisor and maxed-out donor to John McCain's presidential campaign.

To political news junkies, a disclosure of Rove's relationship to the McCain campaign may seem unnecessary. But whether the public simply assumes that Rove supports McCain isn't the point. The "most influential pundit" in America, as Fox likes to trumpet, should have to play by the same rules as other high-profile political analysts. For example, Paul Begala and James Carville are regularly identified as supporters of Hillary Clinton when they appear on CNN. But Rove has been able to act as an independent observer while criticizing Clinton and Barack Obama, McCain's likely general election opponent.

There is nothing shocking about Rove's attacking Democrats, of course. And his operating with a duplicitous air of independence probably isn't going to make or break Fox's claim to "fair and balanced" coverage. But will the greater public catch on?

In a May 7 Washington Post online chat with Karl Rove, the news organization correctly introduced the pundit as an "informal advisor to the McCain campaign." The Post's media reporter, Howard Kurtz, has also endorsed disclosing that Rove is a "maxed-out donor" to McCain
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http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/..._fox/index.html

I find the lack of journalistic ethics to be jaw dropping amazing right now. Doesn't anyone tell the truth about anything anymore?

Is there no shame in this land. Do we really want to see someone that is a traitor describe politics. You might as well let Manson give a report on a death sentence. How about Jeffery Dahmer for an advocate of meat eaters. When you kill someone with malace, they put you to death. When you kill millions, they call you President!

Well guys, if you think that's bad, this will make you sick. Rove gets chummy with Terry McKauliff (or however its spelled) on FOX. This video also shows Clinton supporter and long time friend Lanny Davis saying now he knows how it feels to be republican (because of the liberal media bias).

Lanny David And Terry McKauliff Get Down with Rove

What's really going on here (IMO) is Rove is pushing for a Clinton nomination because the GOP think McCain can actually beat her in a national election.

Terry McKauliff loves Karl Rove's Math