Rove is back. Let's stop him from doing what he does so well.

Carl Rove is back and he's on the warpath to divert attention from Bush's failures in Iraq by attacking Democrats for their being against the war and for their lack of a plan to do anything about it. That's what he does best: attack the strengths of his enemies.

• He attacked Kerry's Vietnam war experience and his subsequent stance against the war with the Swift Boat ads.


• He attacked McCain's character during the 2000 Primaries -- a slanderous campaign in South Carolina that knocked McCain virtually out of the race with a barrage of fabrications about the personal lives of McCain and his family.


• Towards anti-war Democrats Rove orchestrated the campaign to depict the war's critics as terrorist sympathizers. He told a right-wing audience that "liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."

Jonathan Alter of Newsweek said that Rove "neutralizes that strength to the point that it begins to look like weakness." And that's what he did in each instance (and there are many more).

Perhaps we can turn the tables on Rove by exposing (repeatedly) Rove's tactics for what they are: diversions and campaign tactic; not delving into issues with an open mind and a willingness to resolve (as should come from a White House employee).

Rove carries the title Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, Office of the Chief of Staff. Shouldn't someone like that NOT be allowed, at least while drawing government pay, to be so low down?

The press has been compliant because Rove and this administration slam back with depictions of being unpatriotic. The press was beginning to turn when Rove was under indictment but now that that threat has passed and Rove is no longer diverted, the press cannot give in to his harassments. Nor can we. Why not examine each proclamation and comment by the White House which can be clearly seen as coming from Rove's office and show how it is diverting, nothing more than a tactic, and unfit to have been produced and distributed using our tax dollars.

Unfairness is unfairness no matter how it is couched. And Rove's tactics of diversion and vicious attacks, of labeling and harassment is, in itself, a diversion from the real global issues of the day: Iraq, terrorism, climate change, migration, AIDS and poverty.

Let's not let another story on these major issues be repressed and replaced by inflammatory and otherwise much less important issues.