Academic

Should Karl Rove Go to Prison?

By Robert Justin Lipkin

Rovian politics, like Brooklyn Street Fighting, is heartbreakingly ruthless. One could, however, almost always opt out of Brooklyn street fights; just never join a gang. Remain a civilian. But not even "civilians" are beyond Rove's poisonous tentacles. Or to put it differently, not one is beyond Rove's nefarious clutches.

Bush-Rove politics must be ranked with the most notorious and devastating brand of character assassination, dirty tricks, and downright viciousness in the history of the republic. It's not at all clear how Mr. Bush, a born-again Christian, can sanction such conduct. But he does.  Wherein lies the morality--"love thy neighbor"--in such a strategy? Of course, Bush and Rove, in all probability, have developed enormous capacities to rationalize and compartmentalize their decisions to the detriment of the nation. Here lies another reason for punishing the Republican Party this fall. This is not retributive punishment--revenge is not involved--rather it is for the sake of deterrence.  Hopefully, if we punish the Republicans for bringing us the past eight years, the Party will think twice about ever again inflicting such grievous injuries on the Constitution, the nation's traditions, and on the American people. Although, it will not happen, Karl Rove certainly deserves to go to prison if the crimes his been accused of can be proven in court.  But such punishment is clearly insufficient. The real culprit here is the Republican Party and Republicans who are so blinded by partisanship that they have no ability to discern the good of the nation.

Full post as published by Essentially Contested America on July 26, 2008 (boomark / email).