Karl Rove vs. Dick Durbin

I have a request, because I know you strive to be fair in your blogging. Would you please provide a post detailing exactly why Dick Durbin's comments were offensive while Karl Rove's were not? - Elliot

As I mentioned in my previous post, the left has been very busy today bashing Karl Rove for his comments made recently in New York. Here is some of what he stated.

Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.

Rove said the Democratic party made the mistake of calling for "moderation and restraint" after the terrorist attacks. - cnews

Now, what is not offensive about this? Well, for me to compare this to Durbin's comments, I would have to act like Durbin. That is, Durbin went to the extreme, comparing our troops to Nazis or members of the Soviet gulag; Rove said that the Democrats were indecisive and weak. Harsh? Perhaps, but hardly personal attacks.

Steve Holland of Reuters also made a very interesting observation.

Rove's remarks were reminiscent of some of President Bush's speeches from his re-election campaign last year but seemed to go further in saying liberals had offered therapy for the attackers.

Hmm, so, if I am to understand this, Rove basically said the same thing that President Bush did a year ago. But there is far less outrage at his comments, which he repeated at many different events. If this is so offensive, how did it elude Democrats last year? I certainly won't say that Democrats gave President Bush a pass (because I certainly wouldn't believe it), so I'm left pondering this as well.

Of course, this still leaves the important factor of how truthful his comments are. No matter how offensive or inoffensive one's words are, truth is the only redeeming factor of any opinion.

Well, Rove has been quickly backed up by RNC Chair Ken Mehlman. Mr. Mehlman responded to the calls for an apology by mentioning many times that the Democrats did just what Rove blamed them of. These included comments by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. Howard Dean, all questioning the War on Terror in the wake of 9/11 or in the years following. It is also interesting to note that the White House is not apologizing for Rove's comments, as they state that the Democrats have shown little initiative or innovation concerning the War on Terror.

So, is this offensive? I guess that is all a matter of opinion. Perhaps some were offended by Karl Rove's seemingly blunt comments. But unlike Dick Durbin's comments, they were backed up by the facts. So, Elliot, I will not call into question your intelligence; I know for a fact that you are very intelligent. And it is because of this that I know you understand the difference between Durbin and Rove.

Sources:
U.S. Newswire
Reuters
cnews