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Karl Rove, Bullish on the Budget and the Border

Karl Rove tried not to stray from policy into politics during a speech yesterday at the American Enterprise Institute. President Bush's senior adviser did, however, trip himself up with a heck of a poor choice of words.
Karl Rove tried not to stray from policy into politics during a speech yesterday at the American Enterprise Institute. President Bush's senior adviser did, however, trip himself up with a heck of a poor choice of words. (By Chip Somodevilla -- Getty Images)
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Likewise, federal spending has increased some 40 percent over the past five years, with discretionary spending jumping by more than 55 percent. But, again, Rove had a different view. "The president has reduced the growth of non-security discretionary spending every year in office," he said.

In a similar vein, Bush has not vetoed a single bill since he became president. But Rove said that it was "39 veto threats" that had the effect of "restraining spending to the levels proposed in the president's budget."

The questioners were skeptical. NPR's Mara Liasson wondered why "so many conservatives don't seem to agree with you and are really up in arms about spending."

"They're missing the facts," Rove said.

The Wall Street Journal's Jeanne Cummings pointed out that Congress did, in fact, miss Bush's spending target despite a veto threat on the highway bill.

"You can't find any other bill where they've breached his target," Rove revised.

Jim Klumpner, a Democratic staffer on the Senate Budget Committee, wondered if declines in real household and family income meant that "many, if not most, Americans have suffered real income losses under President Bush."

"Well, not necessarily," Rove replied. He launched into a technical explanation, followed by a rare disclaimer: "I'm not the expert in it."


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