Double Super Secret Background: Karl Rove Scandal

If we had only one detail to focus on in this whole thing -- and there are lots of them -- I'd have a very hard time choosing. For now, I'm thinking about how perfect an example this is of GOP obedience to their collective 'greater good' as prescribed by their leadership and distrubuted in talking point form. Even as evidence mounts, we see the well-trained talking heads blah blah blahing over and over again the heroism of Rove and poo-pooing the people uncovering the details, indeed the details themselves as 'partisan' attack(ers). As quite different type of partisan myself - way out in left field would acurately describe me, I'm not so bugged at Their ability to move a message as I am kind of intrigued by the political calculatoin they must be making in moving the Rove points

If I were a republican elected, here's what I'd probably think:

Rove delivers votes.

Rove is either going to jail or not. If he gets fired but doesn't go to jail, he still delivers votes.

If I'm critical of Rove, he won't deliver votes.
If I praise Rove and he gets off, he might deliver votes for me.
If I praise Rove and he goes to jail, no loss -- just say "Who knew?" or "He lied!" and then later, after jail, when he gets his a.m. talk show, I can be guest and everything will still work out.
If I'm anyone else - elected or not - this is probably why I'm cynical about politics in general.

David Corn has some interesting things to say about GOP messaging today:

Rove Scandal: Looking for One Outraged GOPer (It Ain't McCain); The Political-Security Gap in Iraq