Why Are These Men Laughing?

Ron Suskind's view of presidential adviser Karl Rove is eye-opening. No, make that chilling.

“[Karl Rove’s friends and co-workers] heard that I was writing about [him] …and they began calling, some anonymously, some not, saying that they wanted to help and leaving phone numbers. The calls from members of the White House staff were solemn, serious. Their concern was not only about politics, they said, not simply about Karl pulling the president further to the right. It went deeper; it was about this administration’s ability to focus on the substance of governing -- issues like the economy and social security and education and health care -- as opposed to its clear political acumen, its ability to win and enhance power.”

“…Over time, I came to know these sources to be serious people with credible information. And, of course, their fear of discovery is warranted, for this White House has defined itself as a disciplined command center that enforces a unanimity of purpose and has a well-known prohibition of leaks, a well-known distaste for openness.”

"...Sources close to the former president (Bush) say Rove was fired from the 1992 Bush presidential campaign after he planted a negative story with columnist Robert Novak about dissatisfaction with campaign fundraising chief and Bush loyalist Robert Mosbacher Jr. It was smoked out, and he was summarily ousted."

Read the in-depth article in January's Esquire.