Karl Rove Admits Mistake

Karl Rove Admits Mistake in Advising George W. Bush on Iraq Invasion Response

Posted: 03/3/10

Christopher Weber, Politics Daily

In a new memoir, former White House adviser Karl Rove says failure to uncover weapons of mass destruction damaged George W. Bush's credibility, but the president did not knowingly mislead the American public about invading Iraq.

Rove blames himself for not pushing back against claims that Bush had taken the country to war under false pretenses, calling it one of the biggest mistakes he made during his time in the administration, according to The Associated Press, which obtained an advance copy of the book "Courage and Consequence."

Rove maintains the 2003 invasion was the most momentous act of of Bush's presidency and the right response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, even though Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein wasn't responsible, the AP reported.

"Having seen how much carnage four airplanes could cause, Bush was determined to do all he could to prevent the most powerful weapons from falling into the hands of the world's most dangerous dictators," Rove wrote.

History will look favorably on Bush's two terms as president, Rove notes. He defends Bush's handling of the Hurricane Katrina response, blaming state and local officials for botched recovery efforts.