Dimiero reports: "It's becoming increasingly clear that Fox News' employment of a 'political analyst' who doubles as an adviser to a GOP super PAC is a major ethical problem."

Does Karl Rove have a conflict of interest? (photo: Fox News)

Fox News' Karl Rove Problem Growing

By Ben Dimiero, Media Matters for America

27 June 12

t's becoming increasingly clear that Fox News' employment of a "political analyst" who doubles as an adviser to a GOP super PAC is a major ethical problem.

During a regular Fox News appearance last month, Karl Rove -- who cofounded the GOP super PAC American Crossroads -- launched a series of attacks on Democratic senate candidate Bob Kerrey. Rove's attacks directly echoed ads his super PAC had been airing in Nebraska against Kerrey, but Rove did not disclose Crossroads' heavy investment in the race to Fox viewers.

Rove, the longtime George W. Bush advisor turned Fox News analyst and Wall Street Journal columnist, helped cofound the American Crossroads in 2010. After being active in the 2010 midterms, Crossroads has devoted itself to defeating Obama and helping Republicans in various congressional races in 2012. Rove clearly sees his role as a media figure as a means to help achieve Crossroads' goals.

Last month, Greta Van Susteren hosted Rove on her Fox News program to discuss the then-upcoming Wisconsin recall election. To her credit, at the start of the segment, Van Susteren asked Rove to disclose a potential conflict of interest, saying that Crossroads "makes contributions to different issues around the country. Just so that we're absolutely clear, you're here as a Fox analyst. But do you have any money in this race at all, in this recall race?" Rove assured Van Susteren that while he had personally donated to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Crossroads was not involved in the race.

A few minutes later, the conversation shifted to the GOP primary in the Nebraska senate race. Van Susteren did not pause again to ask Rove if Crossroads had money invested in the race (which it does), and Rove certainly didn't volunteer the information, even though he had been asked earlier in the segment about a possible Crossroads conflict of interest. Rove then used the opportunity to trash Bob Kerrey, the Democratic candidate in that race, while lauding Deb Fischer, the winner of the GOP primary.

Rove described Fischer as a "terrific general election candidate" and a "great addition to the" U.S. senate. Citing "some pals out there," Rove said that she is known by local state senators as "effective, tough, smart, easy to get along with, really focused on her job," and "a really fine person."

After Van Susteren noted that Kerrey is a "war hero" who is "very popular in the state," Rove quickly pivoted to attacking Kerrey for leaving Nebraska and "living in New York City and contemplating a run for mayor." According to Rove, "that's not a way to get ahead in Nebraska politics, by moving to the big city and turning your back on the folks back home."

Rove's attack on Kerrey moving to New York and supposedly "turning [his] back on the folks back home" echoes Crossroads' attack line against Kerrey. In January, Crossroads announced a $30,000 statewide radio ad campaign targeting "carpetbagger Bob Kerrey" for having lived in New York City. The ad, just like Rove did on Fox, mocks Kerrey's flirtation with a run for mayor of that city. (Attacks on Kerrey for having moved to New York City continue to be a staple of Crossroads' ads focused on the Nebraska Senate race.)

Though Crossroads only made a statewide ad buy in Nebraska, thanks to Rove's platform on Fox, he was able to take the ad's attacks national without Crossroads having to spend a dime (actually, he was technically being paid to do so).

Previously, Fox News has aggressively promoted ads from American Crossroads targeting president Obama, often without noting Rove's connection to either Crossroads or the network.

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+171 # erogers 2012-06-27 12:28

Karl Rove and Fox News. What a great marriage. A pack of liars who are incapable of telling the truth. They deserve each other but we do not need to have them in our lives. I do not listen to nor believe one piece of garbage from the entire gang. Rove's very looks make me ant to puke.

+33 # ritaague 2012-06-28 04:46

I'll join you in puking - the camera doesn't lie, unlike dirty trickster Rove and his Kochsucking cronies at Fox, et. al..

Bigget lie these days, that we in this greed and power staph infected country can and actually do vote and have that vote honestly counted. In my humble opinion, all the manipulation, spin, distraction (MSD) needs to be recognized for what it is - karlroving of we the sheeple, i.e. ads, aimed at approx. eleven year old minds, repeated over and over. Let's word of mouth it far and wide: support only proven over time to be people serving pols., those who have constantly and truly supported peace, liberty, justice for all (not merely claim so in ads), and never fall for and support the MIC and 'no regs' Greedy Old Partiers and, tragic but true, sold out to the villainaire rulers Damn Dems.

+25 # Glen 2012-06-28 06:26

Amazing how one's character reveals itself in one's physical appearance. As you say, Rove is the perfect example. There is a veil of death in his eyes and a grey demeanor and lack of wrinkles that illustrate a man who sleeps like a baby at night because he has no conscience. Matters not that he might have had skin care - his lack of spirit shows through regardless.

+142 # Kayjay 2012-06-27 12:58

This kind of disgusting political gamesmanship will continue, because it really works well for the "one percent" interests. Hopefully, one day enough of the electorate will be forced to really look into the ingredients of these political messages. Namely.... exactly who is passing along the message and do they benefit? Thus this is another reason why we desperately need to rescind Citizens United and embrace strict campaign finance limits. Democracy these days doesn't exist....its turned into a marketing game to mine votes from gullible citizens.

+59 # DaveM 2012-06-27 19:48

The fact that the man is violently insane is a problem in and of itself.

If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and watch "Bush's Brain", a no holds barred look at the life and works of Karl Rove up to some years ago. Scary stuff--but worth knowing and remembering.

+13 # WestWinds 2012-06-27 22:29

Here are the lyrics to a Rodney Crowell song; something to think about:

When losers rule the world
I'm the man who would be King
When losers rule the world
I'll be in songs that children sing
That tell the tale of how I fell when I lost everything
When losers rule the world

When losers rule the world
They'll salute when I walk by
When losers rule the world
They'll applaud each time I cry
The tears that fall will make men all feel humbled at my sight
When losers rule the world

My time in the sun
Will surely come
Then a million eyes will see
What you've done to me
When losers rule the world

When losers rule the world
I'll a big shot then
When losers rule the world
I'll be a prince among men
I'll lift my glass to the past that made me what I am
When losers rule the world
When losers rule the world
When losers rule the world
*****

+4 # BritsareBeasts 2012-06-28 18:27

Quoting DaveM:

The fact that the man is violently insane is a problem in and of itself.

If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and watch "Bush's Brain", a no holds barred look at the life and works of Karl Rove up to some years ago. Scary stuff--but worth knowing and remembering.

Karl Rove LOOKS and SOUNDS like “LIQUID” EVIL. His VOCAL delivery is smooth, sardonic, satanic and saturated with disdain for all that is good. Ugh! I wish that God cared.

+60 # Thebigkate 2012-06-27 20:05

Dubya had it right! Karl Rove is TURDBLOSSOM--no more no less. And a rich turdblossom at that. Rich, unethical and angry.

Why is it that right wing pols and PACS are such angry people? I don't think I have seen any of them on the TEE VEE or print who are not full of vitriole. Maybe they were all abused as children--and identified with their abuser? That's the only explanation that makes sense to me.

+43 # WestWinds 2012-06-27 22:11

I've believed for a long time that these people are products of alcoholic environments. As children they never got their needs met and were probably hit a lot, too. We are not so far out from the Victorian era when they believed that to spare the rod would spoil the child. A couple of decades ago, the airwaves were flooded with messages saying not to hit children because it only produced angry adults. Ergo "Super Nanny" with her time-out and planned approaches for dealing with miserable children who were acting out as their only means of communicating something was wrong. When we have a look at Republican women, I don't know about you, but all I see are empty shells wrapped up in excessive materialism. Kids are like blank computers when they are born and parents program kids from the cradle. When parents don't know how to properly relate to their children, what makes us think those kids are going to grow up and automatically know how to properly relate to anything. These mean-spirited, cold hearted, vicious people are a case in point and America is being run by the mentally ill who have serious money addictions and power fixations trying to prove their own worth to themselves and USING the rest of us to accomplish this.

+20 # humactdoc 2012-06-28 06:29

Their behavior and underlying principles of lying to demolish the reputation of their opponent is adult playground bullying. Rove, Beck, Rush and Fox News don't have reasonable or objective arguments so have to bully out of their own frustration and petty need to be superior.

+74 # pernsey 2012-06-27 20:24

The worst part is that the Fox News sheeple will be repeating this liars words like they are facts. I have never witnessed such mass brainwashing. Its amazing how many sheeple never poke their nose outside of the Fox News lie machine to know, that Rove is an absolute liar and Fox news is a lie/propaganda machine. Any actual facts and real news are percieved to them as lies or liberal media. This is honestly the sickest form of deception...how much lower can this sick piece of garbage Rove and the Fox lie machine go?

+63 # WestWinds 2012-06-27 22:24

It would seem that a great many average Americans identify with these Right-wingers. This is what you get when you don't have a properly educated populace. And I'm not talking about reading, writing and arithmetic...th at's TRAINING. I'm talking about teaching children how to THINK and properly APPLY knowledge and information to problem solving; something that the wealthy have systematically removed from general circulation.

Why are we having such a hard time connecting the dots between the Bushes, the Koch brothers and other very rich Right-wingers and their recent avid interest in education. Yes, education is lucrative and they would have us believe that that's their primary or only interest, but I submit that Hitler knew what he was saying when he declared, "Give me the youth, and Germany will rule the world." And this is why we now only have ONE text book company for all schools and it is located in Right-wing Texas.

+14 # Glen 2012-06-28 06:23

Yep, WestWinds, the lack of genuine education and critical thinking in the U.S. is a major issue. Major. No real understanding of history or any effort to understand or research the actions of the U.S. government past or present. Lacking that thinking process renders one highly susceptible to propaganda.

I was once asked how I would like to be remembered and what are you striving for today, during a jury duty interview of jurors. My immediate answer was - student and learning. Didn't make the jury and do believe I know why.

+49 # kinvore 2012-06-27 20:30

What exactly is the problem, at least as far as Fox is concerned? Neither Fox nor Rove have ever been concerned with such trivial matters as ethics or integrity, much less truth or facts.

+6 # Regina 2012-06-28 12:58

How about MONEY? They've all been bought by Norquist, the Koch boys, the Adelsons, and their ilk, plus the US Chamber of Commerce. And what those paymasters are buying is the whole country, delivered to them as passive patsies and echo chambers for the slogans that Fox peddles as news.

+36 # theshift33 2012-06-27 20:44

Since when has Faux News ever been concerned with ethics? Considering Crossroads/Rove recently aligned themselves with quotes from the "Fight
Club" a movie and book highlighting
sociopaths I'd say Faux News and Rove are a match. How's that for this duo throwing it in our faces America.

+33 # WestWinds 2012-06-27 22:25

When does America understand we are being run by crooks, criminals and sociopaths???

+2 # Firefox11 2012-06-29 12:31

Quoting WestWinds:

When does America understand we are being run by crooks, criminals and sociopaths???

Yes, what can we do about it since the voting machines can be fixed, per 2000 in Florida and 2004 in Ohio?

+1 # Gevurah 2012-06-30 20:40

The unthinking, brain-washed half may not care. Wait till they find out their *** is being gored. (excuse irresistible play on words). Read: What's the Matter with Kansas, to find out how a formerly progressive state turned into one that bends over and begs for more.

+34 # reiverpacific 2012-06-27 20:50

"Ethics? Talks't thou to me of Ethics?! -Off with his head!" (with apologies).
What does ethics have to do with anything in these times, especially with this creeping poisoned dwarf and his ilk like Grover Norquist working from the shadows to corrupt all they even breathe upon?
If you even bring up ethics in any debate, it'll be cast into the outer darkness where there is a-wailing and a-gnashing of teeth, marginalized or laughed at as naive -even un-American!
Sorry to be theatrical but it seems to me that this insignificant piece of almost-human corruption and the word "ethics" belong in different realities.
Follow the money, power-peddling and smell the shit before something even more rotted and festering comes along.
Ethics -sheesh!

+35 # Texas Aggie 2012-06-27 20:54

So the only problem for Fox is an ethical one, nothing that they really care about. Somehow given their history, I sincerely doubt that the ethics of the situation is giving any of them sleepless nights.

+18 # cordleycoit 2012-06-27 21:32

Expecting anything out of Rove to do with ethics is like looking for mercy from a Chicago cop. He is the one person in the whole Murdoch scandal who might not go to jail. He does look strange without his sock puppet but I'll get used to it. Maybe they could save some money and give him several puppets.

+35 # Old Uncle Dave 2012-06-27 22:00

Can you have a foot problem without feet? Can you have a car problem without an automobile? Fox does not have an ethics problem. It can't.

+52 # susienoodle 2012-06-27 22:04

Rove should have been tried and convicted of treason for outing Valerie Plame. He's just one more example of how far this country has fallen in terms of ethics, integrity, and respectability.
No wonder the young are not motivated to pay attention to politics or to vote. Besides Obama and very few others, Bernie Sanders, Howard Dean, (who isn't in office anymore), there aren't many to admire. Let's hope Elizabeth Warren wins. She tells the truth. But what a pity someone like Daryl Issa keeps getting elected. He has no integrity, ethics, etc. What are those folks in Orange County thinking by keeping him in office? Until more voters wake up and do something about the corrupt politicians, we get the country we deserve. Rove is just the tip of that hypocritical iceberg, which they deny is melting.

+6 # motamanx 2012-06-28 07:56

"Rove is just the tip of that hypocritical iceberg, which they deny is melting."

What a good quote!

+1 # susienoodle 2012-06-28 09:58

thank you motamanx

+4 # overanddone 2012-06-28 01:45

Thinking people with any analytical ability at all have long ago written off Fox news. Those who haven't are lost deserve the crap shoved down their throats, and are not worth considering, like the opinions of their puppeteers.

+1 # Firefox11 2012-06-29 12:34

Quoting overanddone:

Thinking people with any analytical ability at all have long ago written off Fox news. Those who haven't are lost deserve the crap shoved down their throats, and are not worth considering, like the opinions of their puppeteers.

Unfortunately, ignorant people can and do vote; hence, have some influence.

+6 # LegendBert 2012-06-28 02:44

The solution is simple. Don't watch Fox News. It is just another arm of the Republican Lie Machine.

+1 # Firefox11 2012-06-29 12:36

Quoting LegendBert:

The solution is simple. Don't watch Fox News. It is just another arm of the Republican Lie Machine.

Once again, just because some of us do not watch Fox News does not stop the distortions from sifting into the mainstream dialogue; witness the most recent reporting of Supreme Court decision on Affordable Care Act. Similarly, for those of us who do recycle and eat responsibly, there are many who do not, and they do affect the world we all live in. Unconscious behavior affects us all.

-52 # brucbaker 2012-06-28 02:58

I CHALLENGE anyone who thinks FOX NEWS Is LYING or Faux news to ANALYZE the events of the last five years since Democrats took control of Congress, and STOP LISTENING to the liberal propaganda, then SEE WHO IS THE FAUX NEWS?

Once you Turn off the constant drone of hypnotism from the Lamestream and analyze the EVENTS ... oh my god ... Fox CABLE NEWS, and FOX BUSINESS NEWS isn't perfect .. but it sure is more accurate than the FAUX LAMESTREAM MEDIA news.

Example .. Compare CANDIDATE OBAMA 2008 To President Obama 2012. Rove may just be EQUAL to Candidate Obama's messaging of 2008 ... and that scares the POOP out of the LEFT WING!

+2 # JCM 2012-06-28 14:56

I'll take you up on that. How do you want to start?

+7 # pernsey 2012-06-28 16:19

Brubaker, the only thing that scares the poop out of me, are Fox brainwashed people like you.

+7 # Bigmike6 2012-06-28 03:43

well it looks like the 2012 election will be the BIGGEST GOP bought election in the world. No matter what We the People do it is going to be BOUGHT and PAID FOR by the RIGHT and CORPERATIONS.

-33 # Dougded 2012-06-28 04:12

This is such a load, every single network does it!!!!

+13 # pernsey 2012-06-28 06:17

Quoting Dougded:

This is such a load, every single network does it!!!!

The same old lame GOP excuse, everyone does it! Not anywhere near the extent of blatant lies and non facts that Fox does. Fox has actually won court cases that gives them the right to lie about anything they want. If facts are considered liberal media...then that pretty much says it all. Twisting the facts and lying is normal for Fox.

Everyone else does it, is neither true nor an excuse...try again!

+6 # hobbesian 2012-06-28 05:19

Money "invested" in politics? more like "money INFESTED in politics". The US is deeply mired in infestations of money; in ANY other country is politics so easily bought, so greedily sought?

We - yes US! WE have turned capitalism into a monstrous infection which is destroying us from the brain to the heart.

-43 # jimattrell 2012-06-28 05:26

You guys are all so nasty. Just because Karl has a different view of things doesn't mean he's a liar (or all the other vicious names you have called him). Viewership of Fox is double that of MSNBC and triple that if CNN and there is a reason for that. Try watching the many Fox programs that have both liberal and conservative speakers and perhaps you'll begin to appreciate that, to fix this country, we need to appreciate minority views and take them into consideration and then do what's best for all...

+16 # pernsey 2012-06-28 06:38

Quoting jimattrell:

You guys are all so nasty. Just because Karl has a different view of things doesn't mean he's a liar (or all the other vicious names you have called him). Viewership of Fox is double that of MSNBC and triple that if CNN and there is a reason for that. Try watching the many Fox programs that have both liberal and conservative speakers and perhaps you'll begin to appreciate that, to fix this country, we need to appreciate minority views and take them into consideration and then do what's best for all...

Really? There is nothing liberal on Fox News...Fair and balanced means lies and untruths and extreme false opinions. Jim pull your head out of the Fox lie machine, and start watching and listening to multiple news medias, and you will find the only news show spouting the Fox news garbage is Fox news. Its not because they have exclusives, its because they are spinning their asses off and making most of this stuff up. What they dont make up the teabaglicans tell them how to spin everything and lie until the truth is no where to be found.

+12 # motamanx 2012-06-28 07:41

Check your history of the man. His dirty tricks have always included lies. He made his career with his ability to lie.

+6 # Regina 2012-06-28 13:03

Views are views, and lies are lies. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, but if you can reason intelligently instead of spouting slogans and screaming hate a la Limbaugh, you'll be heard. And debated with comparable intelligence.

0 # Firefox11 2012-06-29 13:30

Quoting jimattrell:

You guys are all so nasty. Just because Karl has a different view of things doesn't mean he's a liar (or all the other vicious names you have called him). Viewership of Fox is double that of MSNBC and triple that if CNN and there is a reason for that. Try watching the many Fox programs that have both liberal and conservative speakers and perhaps you'll begin to appreciate that, to fix this country, we need to appreciate minority views and take them into consideration and then do what's best for all...

So, who is the minority?

+17 # grindermonkey 2012-06-28 05:46

It is interesting that if you listen to Rove's comments how much he depends upon fractured mathematics and unrelated numerical polling to sell his ideas. He speaks little of policy and less of vision with regard to any of these candidates. His pick for Nebraska for example was "friendly and easy to get along with" what mathematical formula describes these political attributes? If you ignore his numerology, he has said absolutely nothing relevant the issues of the day.

+6 # indianfirst 2012-06-28 06:02

Carl Rove, other operatives, and the big corporate funders want to lead Republican thinking, not listen to it. This has resulted in the tea party, incursions by Southern Baptists and other religions (except Muslims) into the development of language and sound bites that all Republicans are expected to believe in and follow. At some point the forward wave is going to break into millions of pieces. Single-issue voting (I suspect but can't prove) may already be drifting to consideration of other things, like the economy and education. Rove and his friends in the big corporations know they need untold millions of dollars to stay on top - but for how long? Even corporations tire of spending dollars on a limited return.

-15 # DonnaMarshOConnor 2012-06-28 07:01

A couple of things: Saying the Rove problem is growing is like saying someone who died of cancer a year ago has a new tumor. That's first. Next:

Bob Kerrey will be crying that he could have "arrested Rove" too.

+5 # Gogojoe 2012-06-28 19:41

Bob Kerry: Navy SEAL, Medal of Honor winner !
Rove: Chicken-hawk!

Oh wait , maybe he'll get his swift boat crowd out again!

+7 # CoyoteMan50 2012-06-28 07:33

Fox News has ethics? Where?

+8 # motamanx 2012-06-28 07:49

I am concerned that Turdblossom is not in jail for serial snubs of Senatorial subpoenas. Now the Democrats are using the specter of a demonic Karl Rove in their fund raising efforts: "Don't let Karl Rove steal the election!" They cry. Well, the Democrats should have shown more spine,and frogmarched the bastard to jail forthwith. They were cowards. I hope it isn't too late to reverse the incomprehensibl e rightward tilt of the country.

+6 # tuandon 2012-06-28 08:30

Like Trump, Rove is just a Bloviating Ignoramus.

+7 # tonenotvolume 2012-06-28 10:56

Unfortunately, Rove is not just what you describe. He has real power and fewer scruples than even Trump. You dismiss him at our own risk.

+8 # ghostperson 2012-06-28 08:50

Rove is a seemless web unable to differentiate roles because there is no differentiation . He is a lobbyist/hatche t man/flamethrowe r in any capacity in which he is found. Why his group is entitled to a tax exemption is anyone's guess.

+4 # wleming 2012-06-28 10:31

fox news "stressed by ethical" problems? what planet is the gentleman on? fox news has one agenda: its called the bottom line- and it defines corporate capital, just as much as fox news represents corporate capital to the misinformed, disinformed, and completely fogged viewers of fox news. they are doing their "job."

+11 # Philothustra 2012-06-28 14:56

Turdblossom apparently once had a strong
enough moral objection to military service that he dodged the draft in 1972 while working for the Republican Nat. Committee!

"Karl Rove escaped the draft for nearly three years at the height of the Vietnam War using student deferments..."

Like all the chickenhawks of the Bush
cabinet and executive, Rove is quick to
attack the likes of Kerrey and Kerry.

Look at the pigeyed squint on this swine!

0 # Firefox11 2012-06-29 13:47

[quote name="Philothus tra"]Turdblosso m apparently once had a strong
enough moral objection to military service that he dodged the draft in 1972 while working for the Republican Nat. Committee!

"Karl Rove escaped the draft for nearly three years at the height of the Vietnam War using student deferments..."

Like all the chickenhawks of the Bush
cabinet and executive, Rove is quick to
attack the likes of Kerrey and Kerry.

This is the problem with civilians wanting to go to war. You never want to go there unless you absolutely have to. It's like France. (from the film, In the Loop)

+2 # Trueblue Democrat 2012-06-29 13:05

"It's becoming increasingly clear that Fox News' employment of a "political analyst" who doubles as an adviser to a GOP super PAC is a major ethical problem."

Fox News and ethics mentioned in the same sentence.

They don't even exist in the same universe.

+3 # JayMagoo 2012-06-29 15:28

I read lots of anger at Rove, and many accurate characterizatio ns of him. But is anybody doing anything? Or are we just venting and letting the actions our anger should inspire be carried off on our ineffective hot air?

+3 # jillobrig 2012-06-29 18:31

Rove is a powerful menace to our democracy.
He is a crook. He is NOT stupid, quite the contrary. He is smart, evil, power hungry and has an agenda to smash democracy while he comes up with more and more money for his own agenda. The man ought to be in jail.

+2 # tm7devils 2012-06-30 13:55

Actually, Karl Rove's ethics, and morals, came under suspicion when he came on board with Bush II.
The spots will last forever!

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