While it makes for an interesting read, I can’t help but think that swarming his yard and home, and pounding on his windows with this kids at home, borders on some kind of physical threat, and that this group has made an absolutely implacable enemy of Carl Rove at this point.
On the one hand, it’s unbelievably bad tactics to swarm someone’s home and involve non-participants in this issue, but on the other hand, I love the idea of Karl Rove under siege by citizens affected by his behind-the-scenes machinations.
I’m surprised nobody got shot.
Good thing Rove doesn’t perform abortions, or this kind of thing would be wrong.
Regards,
Shodan
It is ill-advised and ill-mannered.
Remarkably, few of the people who advocate policy we disagree with are evil, most simply hold differing views.
CR is serving society, government, God, whatever by the pale and flickering light he has to see the right way. There are legitimate ways of opposing his policies. This is not a legitimate way as it debases and polarizes the political debate.
If Cr is really all that bad, would it be permissiable to kidnap his kids? If not, why is OK to trespass? Why are some laws and customs to be observed and others to be tossed asside to make a political point?
People are idiots.
I am surprised that Rove didn’t don the Ring of Power, go outside and obliterate them all. This was a pretty stupid political move. You can be sure that Rove will make sure that the President works against the group in the future. Also, it is just not cool to invade someone’s property in “protest.” I think Rove made a terrible mistake by agreeing to meet with some of them in order to get them away from his property.
:rolleyes: It’s wrong no matter what, regardless of your snide swipe.
I’m with gobear, but in reverse order – while I find the idea of Karl Rove under seige to be amusing in a vague come-uppance sense of justice, the bottom line is that this trespass and harassment is simply wrong.
(And a note to Homebrew, you’re not acclamated with Shodan yet, are you? 
)
I’m kinda surprised this is even possible. I always assumed high-level gov’t dudes lived in places with more security.
Appalling. And I for one don’t want my government officials living apart from the community and surrounded by guards all the time. I know some of the high profile ones have to but not behind-the-scenes guys.
There’s a certain line where the protest ends. When the guy is off-duty and in his own home you don’t bug him. The President is a bit different because the White House belongs to the people, but I would still consider somebody who trampled the Rose Garden to make their protest known a total asshole whose cause should be looked at with skepticism from them on.
These seem to have been a bunch of over-earnest kids, but what if it was full-grown adults breaking windows next time?
I’d like to add to the growing list of ways in which this was a terrible move – I think Bush already supports limited amnesty for illegal immigrants.
And wouldn’t that make this move akin to bum rushing Ted Kennedy’s house, frightening his wife and kids (and butlers and maids), and challenging him to come out and talk about keeping alcohol legal?
It seems that Shodan 's the only one so far to condone these tactics in this situation.
Now that you mention it, Dennis Kucinich does sort of have big hairy feet.
Well, it’s legal, so why the heck not?
Sure it’s a nasty intrusion on privacy, but so are telemarketing and spam, and those are legal too. Why should demonstrators preclude taking such actions? Because the public finds them distasteful? So what? The demonstrators got their issue a lot of free publicity that they would not have gotten with a conventional demonstration. If home-demonstrations are so repugnant to right thinking people (on either side of the political divide), those people need to work to make the tactic illegal for everyone.
It’s certainly trespassing. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction in question, it’s probably also a number of other crimes, up to and including assault.
The OP asks “smart politics or political insanity?” and the answer is that it will most probably backfire because most people don’t like these types of tactics.
On the issue of whether it is legal or not I hate to have to play the devil’s advocate here but Mr Rove is part of a government which is actively doing a great many things which go against the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States and their attitude is that it is not illegal until a judge says so and even then they will appeal and delay as much as they can. So my reply to Mr Rove is that “it’s not illegal until a judge says so”. Grin and bear it.
A large group of people swarming my yard and banging on my window isn’t really comparable to telemarketing or spam.
Marc
You are familiar with Kucinich’s feet??
Interesting.
Very stupid. If you’re going to get yourself thrown in jail as a political statement, you should at least have the sense to make sure the press is paying attention first.
Well sure, their execution was a little spotty, but what are you going to do, jail the lot of them because of a few bad apples?
Unbelievably childish stunt that could have gotten someone killed.