SALON

Friday, Feb 8, 2013 8:00 PM UTC

GOP’s newest in-house spat

The latest flare-up between Karl Rove and pundit Brent Bozell highlights a growing rift within the party

By

Topics: The American Prospect, Politics, GOP, Karl Rove, Tea Party,

GOP's newest in-house spatKarl Rove at the Fox TV network summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., July 14, 2008. (Credit: REUTERS/Fred Prouser)
This article originally appeared on The American Prospect.

The American Prospect For many years, those of us on the left have joked that all it takes is two Democratic members of Congress having trouble deciding what to eat for lunch to produce a “Dems in Disarray!” headline. Overstated though it often is, there’s an underlying truth there, which is that liberals have frequently been undone by a lack of ability to herd themselves cohesively toward a desired end. And I’m sure that conservatives get no end of satisfaction from watching their opponents bicker amongst themselves.

So it’s hard to resist a little schadenfreude when the shoe is on the other foot. As you may have heard, Karl Rove has started a new organization whose goal is basically to stop future Todd Akins from winning Republican primaries. It’s not meant to move the GOP to the center or anything, just to push aside the crazies, a couple of whom (Steve King in Iowa, Paul Broun in Georgia) are already preparing 2014 Senate runs. But that doesn’t sit well with some people, which led to this hilarious conflict over what somebody who works for Rove tweeted about Brent Bozell, head of the Media Research Center. The Daily Caller reports:

A group of conservative leaders has signed an irate letter demanding that a Republican political consultant be fired for calling the relatively undistinguished scion of a prominent political family a “hater.”

Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for the Karl Rove–affiliated political action committee American Crossroads, used the epithet when discussing L. Brent Bozell, the nephew of former Sen. James Buckley and deceased National Review founder William F. Buckley, during an appearance on a local radio show Wednesday.

The letter, which is being circulated by the Washington, D.C. based public relations shop Shirley & Banister, calls Bozell “a beloved and critically important player in American history.”

Once you get past the absurdity of a bunch of conservatives calling for some guy to be fired for the crime of saying something uncomplimentary about Brent Bozell, you notice that the Daily Caller referred to Bozell as “relatively undistinguished.” Zing! Seems obvious which side they’re taking here, but the letter, which was signed by, among others, Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginni, gets better:

“Mr. Bozell is what we call in our movement a ‘legacy,’” it reads. “He has devoted his life to the cause of American conservatism as did his father, Brent Bozell II, who wrote ‘Conscience of a Conservative’ for Barry Goldwater.”

“Maybe you’ve heard of Brent’s uncle, Bill Buckley, whose words you misquote and twist as the basis for your organization enough to falsely suggest you know something about him,” it continues. “You may have heard of his other uncle, Jim Buckley, a former U.S. Senator, or Brent’s mother, Patricia Buckley Bozell — both important figures and writers in our conservative movement.”

“Ronald Reagan often saluted the contributions of the Bozell and Buckley families to the cause of American conservatism,” it says.

All of which means, I guess, that insulting him should be enough to get you fired. So, is Brent Bozell a “hater”? Oh heavens, yes. In case you aren’t familiar with him, Bozell may well be Washington’s angriest man, and one of the least effective spokespeople Republicans could find for their cause. His face twisted into a perpetual sneer, Bozell appears regularly in conservative media to decry liberal media bias in anything and everything. His organization, the Media Research Center, spends its time upbraiding news outlets for every statement of fact that is uncongenial to conservatives and breathlessly exposing liberal opinion writers for expressing liberal opinions.

There are plenty of prominent conservatives in Washington who are very nice people, but Bozell is most definitely not among them. With one or two exceptions (Bill Donohue of the Catholic League comes to mind), there’s almost no one in public life more consumed by hate than Bozell. He positively vibrates with hate. I had my own encounter with him in 2004 when we appeared on “The O’Reilly Factor” and had what I thought was a perfectly run-of-the-mill disagreement about the presidential race; afterward he stormed into the greenroom, shouted that John Kerry and I were both liars, and when I asked him (politely and calmly, I assure you) what specifically he was referring to, he sputtered, “Uh … fuck you!” and stormed out.

Anyhow, this conflict between Rove and folks like Bozell shows that thinking of a division between an old Republican establishment and an upstart, outsider Tea Party wing doesn’t capture the full complexity of the right. Whether you find Bozell “relatively undistinguished” depends on the standards you’re using, but in most ways, he’s as establishment as it gets. He’s been around Washington for decades, he heads a well-funded organization (according to their 2011 tax form, the MRC’s budget was over $12 million and Bozell’s salary was over $400,000) and he’s been quoted in the media thousands of times over the last quarter-century. But I wouldn’t be surprised if like many on the right, he thinks of himself as a rebel. If anything, he’s more establishment than Karl Rove, but Rove tempers his ideological goals with pragmatism, which even a lifetime in Washington doesn’t produce in everyone. I’m hardly a fan of Rove’s, but he’s no dummy, and he knows the difference between winning and losing. Some people, no matter how long they’ve been around and who their families are, plainly don’t.

 

Read more of The American Prospect at http://www.prospect.org.
Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a contributing editor for The American Prospect and the author of Being Right is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success. More Paul Waldman.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 10 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

Salon is proud to feature content from The American Prospect, a Washington, D.C.-based political magazine that focuses on longform journalism and smart analysis. Check out more Prospect writers by clicking here.

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
534 points535 points | 26 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
452 points453 points | 32 comments
vote
Yes, there is a better search engine (1998)
107 points108 points | 33 comments
vote
Machiavelli doesn’t belong to the 1 percent | "The Prince" is oft-quoted on Wall Street, but its author was a hero of the working class who despised elites
95 points96 points | 33 comments
vote
Let's Stop Screwing Around and Impeach James Clapper: After lying to Congress about all the different ways the NSA's spying on us, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies about how he lied. Call the White House at 202 456-1111 and Tell Obama to Get Rid of Clapper
92 points93 points | 9 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows