It's been nice to see Democrats respond to Rove's remarks in much the same way Republicans responded to Durbin's. That Rove unleashed a smear with treasonous implications certainly helps, but the bulk of the credit has to go to a party newly uninterested in being smacked around. This, however, was not all our idea. It was Rove's. Ann Coulter would have to snort a bucket-full of Adderall and spend a few hours focusing her mind in order to compose a speech so perfectly aimed to offend. The question, then, is why Rove wanted this.
Shortly after the 2004 election finished, Newsweek released a special issue filled with an 80-some page narrative from inside the campaigns. There was little of note within the Bush camp, save for one tidbit from the race's beginning. Early on, the Bush campaign released a commercial with 9/11 firefighters in it and quickly came under fire for exploiting the day. Democrats were pretty pleased, it seemed an amateurish move. But so, according to Newsweek's moles, was Rove. He was ecstatic over the ad, which had forced 9/11 back in front of the public eye, something he figured an electoral plus no matter the context.
