Karl Rove Chides FNC’s Martha MacCallum: ‘Be Careful When You Call Me Establishment’
Yesterday on Fox News’ Happening Now, Karl Rove refined his position on Christine O’Donnell. On the night that the Sarah Palin backed Tea Party candidate won the primary victory in Delaware, Rove was rather harsh in his assessment, calling her “nutty,” among other things. Many have seen this as a “GOP Civil War“; in fact Fox News Martha MacCallum sets up the following discussion with Rove by saying “that’s the way this battle line has been drawn: Tea Party versus establishment.” In It seems that Rove doesn’t like being on what looks like the losing side of that battle, and refined his analysis as such.
The following clip reveals that Rove is not willing to throw the Tea Party baby out with the bathwater, and provides some solid campaign advice for O’Donnell, suggesting that a frank and candid admission of some past problems withe IRS would server her well in the general election.
The other revelation in this clip is Martha MacCallum’s willingness to go toe-to-toe with Rove, perhaps portending a larger political role for the dayside host in coming year? A rough transcript of the exchange follows the video.
Martha MacCallum: All right, Karl Rove the senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush and is a Fox News contributor. Karl, welcome.
Karl Rove: I don’t like being called the establishment. I supported Marco Rubio and Todd Teahart and a lot of the — Sarah Palin and I…Tuesday night backed (inaudible), in New Hampshire. Before you start calling me that establishment guy be, be careful.
MacCallum: you know what, Karl, that’s one of the points I wanted to bring up, including Rubio, Sharron angle, I think you’ve also supported.
Rove: I’m helping raise $50 million, 3 million of which we’ve already spent on behalf of Sharron Angle in Nevada s be careful when you call me an establishment Republican.
MacCallum: That’s the way this battle line has been drawn: Tea Party versus establishment. So you raise a question I want to ask you. Are we at a stage in all of this where if you’re not particularly in favor of one candidate and have reasons to back that up that suddenly you don’t like the whole Tea Party?
Rove: No, no, look, I’m a huge Tea Party fan, I’ve enjoyed meeting with people as I go around the country, I’ve got a great many friends who I’ve made during the bor tour and leaders in the Tea Party movement. In fact, I met Christine O’Donnell when I was in Delaware last December to do the Sussex county Christmas day, GOP Christmas day party and one of the interesting parts, I got to meet with about 12 Tea Party leaders from Delaware and had a wonderful conversation. This has given us energy, ehusal and in many instances highly qualified candidates who are going to be able to take the fight to the Democrats this fall.
MacCallum: Will you do what she asks on Greta, help her win?
Rove: Look, here’s my advice. She needs to do two things: she needs to…in the seven weeks remaining, she needs to make a passionate, articulate, and credible, aggressive case about why Obama is bad on spending deficits, debt and health care and needs on be able to answer questions about her personal background, explain how she got behind on taxes, mortgage, why she didn’t take care of that college bill and be frank and honest. Look, everybody in their life sometimes has difficulties and honesty and candor is going to be the best remedy. She can’t get away with simply saying my answer is on my website or it’s puzzling to me why the IRS would file a lien for me when I didn’t pay my tax necessary 2005. She’s got to be more honest and if she does, she’s got a shot to win but it’s got to be passionate and factual and hard hit.
MacCaullum: I don’t have to tell you that a lot of folks have been screaming, yelling, saying that your comments and not backing her could cost the majority in the senate (cross talk) to be sure they get that majority in the senate and they’re afraid that…
Rove: Martha, my job as a fox analyst is to give the best insight. She’s 11 points behind in the “”Rasmussen poll”” behind the democrat nominee coons. So my job as a fox analyst is to call it as I see them. My job is not to be a cheerleader for every Republican. It’s to call them as I see them. Now, I’ve got a different role outside my fox role and that’s where I’m helping raise $50 million to help Republicans in the senate but when I come on fox you and your viewers expect me to shoot straight with you and that’s what I was doing that night. With all due respect, she’s 11 points behind. That’s not out of a game. She’s got to make up ground and make up ground quick in the da
MacCallum: if she does that to your satisfaction, would it be a verbal endorsement?
Rove: look, I endorsed her the other night, I’m for the Republicans in each and every case. I was one of the first to do it. Look, I’m also helping her. So many people have written me an e-mail saying I’m irritated with you, saying what you said the other night, I’ve gyp her a campaign contribution, I’m sending her an internet contribution. Fox had one thing wrong on election night. We mistakenly said the Republican senatorial committee said they weren’t going to send her my money. I called rob jazzman the morning after and said why the heck did you say that, he said we never said that, we’re cut ago check, $42,000, and we’re raising money from the packets, and campaign funds and Republican senators, including corny and McConnell to send her additional cash immediately. We got it wrong and it created dissatisfaction in the land because we got our facts wrong.
