What Rove Said

Today RealClearPolitics had a link to a NYPost article by Karl Rove called "Why the Left is Losing." However, this is not a Post article by Karl Rove, it's really an excerpt from his speech. Here is how the Post Editors introduce it:

June 24, 2005 -- Below are excerpts of a speech delivered by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove at the New York State Conservative Party dinner on Wednesday. Most of the talk focused on changes on the right that have led to the Republicans' recent national success. But it is these comments on the left that have generated controversy.

That's true, there has been a lot of controversy about what he said about the Left. The funny thing is, he said it all by beginning with a quote by one of the left's very own, Paul Starr, co-editor of The American Prospect. Here's what Rove quoted:

Liberalism is at greater risk now than at any time in recent American history. The risk is of political marginality, even irrelevance . . .
[L]iberalism risks getting defined, as conservatism once was, entirely in negative terms.

Rove is agreeing with this man that Liberalism is in trouble. And then he tells Liberals why that is.

They shouldn't be mad at Rove, they should be paying him a consulting fee for his wisdom.