INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove spoke to a standing-room only crowd at Bent Pine Country Club during the Republican Executive Committee of Indian River County’s Lincoln Day Dinner.
The $140-per-ticket event netted guests a meal and a copy of Rove’s New York Times Bestseller, “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.” Indian River County Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan introduced Rove as the event’s keynote speaker before he graced the podium for a 90-minute rundown topics ranging from health care to the war in Afghanistan. Rove fielded questions during his last 20 minutes at the podium.
“We better, as a nation, put our fiscal house in order,” said Rove. “If the country’s fiscal house is not in order, the country cannot be strong. The American experiment depends on limited government. We did not come into being in order to give everything up to the state and have the state do it for us. The American experiment, which took took a bunch of worthless real estate and turned it into the greatest nation on the face of the planet, depends upon limited government and unlimited freedoms.”
“It depends on restraining government, and freeing up individuals to follow their dreams. That’s the Republican philosophy, which stands in stark contrast to the Democrats as we approach the 2012 election.”
The economy and health care, according to Rove, will be the featured topics during the 2012 presidential election. When asked about who he thought would run and gain the Republican nomination, Rove had ideas but no answers.
“I think we’ve got a few governors (current and past) in Haley Barbour (Mississippi), Mitch Daniels (Indiana), Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota) and Mitt Romney (Massachusetts) whom could win the election,” said Rove.
He pointed out recent and past gaffes by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich that could hurt their chances if they were to run.
Rove stressed the importance of finishing the war in Afghanistan, as he felt it would be the turning point, win or lose, for world history in the 21st Century. He also spoke at length on health care.
“It will not only take the best system of health care in the world and screw it up big-time, but it is going to bankrupt our country. It is going to put us on track to a permanent deficit and permanent debt, and bankrupt us. The only thing we can do to save our country is to repeal it, and replace it with sensible reforms.”
