Let's hope Wisconsin GOP buy Rove plan

Karl Rove made a "rare public appearance" Friday to lay out a scheme for the GOP to hold on to power in the 2006 elections. The NYT reports:

Mr. Rove called for civility in politics in his speech to the Republican National Committee, and then for 26 minutes offered a lacerating attack on Democrats that other Republicans said was a road map for how the party would deal with a tough electoral environment as it battled to retain control of both houses of Congress.

You might remember Rove, although he seems to be working from one of those secure locations lately and seldom coming out of his burrow. He is the top advisor to President Bush who is still under investigation for leaking classified information to the media. The investigation has already shown that Rove, on a number of occasions, revealed the identity of a classified CIA agent, Valerie Plame (Wilson) to discredit her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, a harsh critic of the administration's Iraq war policy. Of course this is in direct contradiction to the fact that Rove sent White House spokesman Scott McClellan out to lie to the American people in 2003 and deny any White House involvement in the leak.

You also might find Rove's scheme familiar. It's virtually the same plan that the GOP tried to beat Sen. Russ Feingold with in Wisconsin in 2004. They lost big time in the last election.

Mr. Rove criticized Democrats for what he described as their "cut and run" policy on Iraq, for blocking a renewal of the antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act and for challenging the legality of the administration's use of wiretaps without warrants.

Democrats across the country would be wise to look to Feingold's 2004 campaign as they plan this year's campaigns. Rove must have forget that his scheme for 2006 was a failed strategy in 2004 when Feingold ran against Bush and crushed Tim Michels by 11 points, winning 54 counties of 72 counties, including 27 counties won by Bush.

Feingold, who voted against going to war in Iraq because he thought it was a irresponsible distraction from the fight against terrorism, has rejected the false choice Rove and Bush have been peddling on the War in Iraq. Feingold has said we should neither "cut and run" or "stay the course" but have a timetable for bringing troops home from Iraq by the end of this year. Do you think most voters are more in line with Feingold or Rove on Iraq?

Let's hope Rep. Mark Green, founder of the Victory in Iraq caucus, takes Rove's advice. If Green wants to stand next to a failed "stay the course" strategy in Iraq, a Patriot Act that doesn't protect our freedoms, and a President who thinks he has the power to break the law and wiretap the phone conversations of innocent American citizens, Democrats should say, "Bring it on."

Rep. Green, can we expect to see Rove campaigning for you here in the state? You might want to look at this poll first. (Scroll to bottom of column.)Bring him on, too.

It looks like next to your friend/donor/mentor Tom DeLay, Rove has about as much credibility with the American people your friend Bob Ney does on ethics. Will he be coming back to Wisconsin anytime soon to lecture us about clean government?