Demagogue

Apparently it hasn't occured to the GOP that Tom DeLay really might not be the best person to send out to defend Karl Rove right now-- even if it is on FoxNews.

The following transcript is from yesterday, via News Hounds, where we find that many of the GOP's talking points on RoveGate float as well as a lead baloon. Mostly DeLay just seems giddy that everyone is talking about someone else's ethics scandal instead of his own.

Shepard Smith: Congressman, Washington is buzzed today about all of the surroundings of Karl Rove and whether Karl Rove should be asked to step down now as this investigation continues. Some of your colleagues on the other side of the political fence are saying he should. Your thoughts?

Tom Delay: Well, this is typical of the Democrats. They smell blood and they act like sharks. Karl Rove is a good man. He was doing his job. He was trying to talk a reporter out of filing a false story based on a false premise and I don't see that he's done anything wrong.
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TD: No, you shouldn't be fired for a leak, you should be fired for breaking a law. I know that some of the reporters are upset with what went on but you have a situation here where Joe Wilson, Ms. Plame's husband was trying to sell a false story to the American people.

And..uh..and..uh...Karl Rove, along with probably many others were talking to the press mostly on background. Unfortunately, this reporter, Cooper did a very unprofessional thing. Took a background information and published it. So, I haven't seen that Karl Rove has done anything against the law. (Laughs) Leaks happen in Washington all of the time and you couldn't do your business if there weren't any leaks.
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TD: Well, uh..er..a lot of this is politics but even going back to what actually happened here the national media called for a special prosecutor on this case. They got their special prosecutor. He's doing his job and he's investigating it.

It is obvious, by even news reports that are biased, that Karl Rove didn't leak anything that was against the law. He was talking on background. He did what he was supposed to be doing and that is trying to squelch a false story being perpetrated by the Democrats, by Joe Wilson himself and others trying to undermine what the president was doing in the war on terror

SS: Was Joe Wilson a target of the White House because of his report on Niger?

TD: I don't know that you would call it a target. When he's telling false stories. You should be out there telling the truth.

SS: Well, what he said was there's no yellow cake, there was no uranium. That what the president was saying to the public was inaccurate. And, the accusation is at least that he was targeted as a result of going against the White House, which Democrats say is not an unusual thing.

TD: Well, I wouldn't say targeted. He was giving false information. And trying to sell a false story based upon false premises. And the White House as well as members of Congress and others were trying to get the truth out.

That's what happens on stories like this. When you got a false story out there mainly being perpetrated for political gain you gotta try to get the truth out and that's what's going on here.

SS: The White House has backed Karl Rove for many years. The White House today says, in fact the president was given the opportunity in a news conference to show his support for Karl Rove and instead made the decision not to do that but said instead, 'I'm gonna wait until all of this is over with.'

By the change in speak, can we assume that (Delay's laughing again) the White House is admitting that everything did not go as it hoped?

TD: (still laughing) It is amazing how people try to read between the lines and parse words...

SS: Well, nope, because it depends on what the definition of 'is' is. I mean, we've been in this business a while.

TD: (laughing again) I know, I know. No, the president still supports, as far as I know, he supports Karl Rove.

SS: He won't say it now. What does that mean?

TD: Well, there is an investigation going on here with a special prosecutor and the White House is part of that investigation. This administation is cooperating in this investigation and rightfully they shouldn't be out there talking to the press about stuff that's involved in the investigation. That's the way they should act.
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SS:When does this become a distraction for the White House in a very difficult time?

TD: I know some of them would like to see this as a distraction but it's not. (smiling broadly)
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SS: If there were a leak of this kind, hypothetically speaking, if someone leaked the name of a CIA operative, the president said before that if someone in his White House did that, that person should be fired. And that's......(words overtalked by Delay)

TD: If they broke the law. The law specifically says that the CIA operative, they're trained to keep them covert. That means usually they're overseas, they're not working out of Langley driving in and out of the gate, they are truly undercover, and you leak it, you're breaking the law.

That wasn't the case. That wasn't the case here. Ms. Plame was working at Langley, coming and going quite obvious she was working for the CIA and this...uh...er..this...there may be other's who leaked...uh...we'll find out when the investigation is over.

SS: Congressman, (some discussion about the weather) good to see you.

Apparently their best defense right now is acting like nothing is wrong while boldly lying to cover up more lies and by the repeated use of the word "truth." It also helps to smile, laugh and blame everyone but Karl Rove for what Karl Rove did.

What do you suppose the chances are of this strategy backfiring?