What's wrong with the GOP?

I just read an opinion piece (Wall Street Journal 5/15/08) about the problems of the Republican Party, written by Karl Rove.

He had some interesting things to say about the loss of some congressional seats in three straight special elections…elections the GOP should have won.

What irked me was Rove’s detached style of writing, as though he had nothing to do with the problem. How soon we forget that Rove was chief political strategist for Bush during all of his first term and two years into his second.

And he has the nerve to complain about how the party is handling things!

For example, the economy. Where was Rove during all the super NAFTA talks? He was right in the middle of things, exporting jobs to other countries. Surely Karl could see a growing trade deficit, shuttered factories, and the growing loss of IT and engineering jobs.

And Rove should have seen huge foreign investment in our loans. No doubt he could see Bush and Congress building the national debt. The economy is a key issue and Rove slept through it. Now he steps forward to advise the voter.

Then there is the Iraq war. Bush tried for three years to win it by outlasting an unidentified enemy. Finally we are seeing progress, but there is this haunting feeling that the administration wasted a year or two before finding the right combination of personnel, equipment, and strategy.

What does Rove suggest to save the GOP?

Don’t laugh – He says Republican candidates need to display a “sharp contrast” with Democrats. This from the man who tried to move the GOP to the left every chance he got.

And of course, McCain needs to court the young, Hispanics, and Jews.

Thanks, Karl, for nothing.