US News: Rove Influence Hasn't Waned (insiders say)

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/061220/20rove.htm

Behind the Scenes, Rove Influence Hasn't Waned

He's not doing much in public, but behind the scenes, White House political guru Karl Rove is as aggressive as ever in making policy arguments within the administration–and his influence is still pervasive, White House insiders tell U.S. News.

"He's been a big player and he remains a big player," says a senior adviser to President Bush. "He doesn't get everything he wants, but his role has not diminished."

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White House insiders say Bush is counting on Rove, who is the president's main political adviser and deputy chief of staff, to define "common ground" in dealing with the Democrats who now control Congress. In Rove's view, that means the White House shouldn't stray too far from the conservative base and should continue making policy from the political right–and not give too much ground to the Democrats. Rove argues privately that the Dems should also reach out to the White House and that Bush shouldn't do most of the compromising. One of Rove's theories is that the Democrats can be maneuvered into a series of difficult choices next year as they try to enact their legislative agenda and pass the federal budget.

The central choice, according to Rove, will be to cut spending or raise taxes. If congressional Democrats cut spending, their liberal base will be alienated. If they raise taxes, rank-and-file voters will be unhappy. GOP insiders suspect that Rove also had a big hand in distancing Bush from the Iraq Study Group because he believed the bipartisan panel was too critical of current Iraq policy. Rove, insiders say, believes that victory is still achievable and that Bush should pursue it as vigorously as he can. The president made those points at his news conference today.