Karl Rove on Common: 'Yes, let's invite a misogynist to the White House'

Karl Rove went on Sean Hannity's Fox News talk show Tuesday night to air his displeasure about an appearance that hip-hop star and actor Common will make Wednesday at the White House for a poetry evening hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Earlier this week former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and conservative blogs highlighted a poem Common wrote to protest the Iraq war. At issue, it appears, are the lines: "Burn a Bush cos’ for peace he no push no button/ Killing over oil and grease/ no weapons of destruction."

Some have construed it to appear as if Common, who was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., literally meant he wanted to set the former president on fire. Rove, the former adviser to George W. Bush, is one of those people.

"Yes, let's invite a misogynist to the White House, a guy who's called for violence against police officers, and called for killing the former president of the United States George W. Bush," Rove complained.

"This guy is a thug," Rove said of the former Gap model. "And why they are inviting him to poetry night at the White House speaks volumes about President Obama and this White House staff. Who is asleep at the vetting desk?"

Lest anyone jump to conclusions, Rove does know a few things about rap. In 2007 MC Rove made an unforgettable appearance at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Assn. dinner where he showed his def abilities rocking the mic.

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-- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: This undated handout publicity photo provided by Geffen Records shows rapper Common. Michelle Obama's "evening of poetry" at the White House set off Republican critics before the artists had uttered a word. Common, who is considered fairly tame as rappers go, is known for rhymes that tend to be socially and politically conscious. Credit: Cass Bird / Associated Press

 

 

Comments

[nick]

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,313775,00.html

just like BUsh

[Gregory Tart]

Well, as an Italian American, I don't prefer "Common" calling Italian Guineas; but I guess we don't rank high with progressives

[Steven T]

Because being a misogynist is so much worse than being a lying dishonest pathetic worm ... I mean Karl Rove.

[Nick]

Who cares what Karl Rove has to say about anything, he's a criminal...

[Bill Vincent]

"And why they are inviting him to poetry night at the White House speaks volumes about President Obama and this White House staff."

I hate this crap. I don't mind open disagreement with things you have feelings on, but this statement is just spin and propaganda. THAT statement speaks volumes about where politics in this country are.

Oh, and Rove is a tool. He should try being a minority, living in the places Common grew up, and then he might have some inkling about the hip-hop culture. You're RAISED to hate cops, because it's survival, and a LOT of people talked about killing Bush...it was a pretty common topic of conversation in some circles.

[rich]

Hannity Hates Common’s Anti-Bush Rhetoric, But Defended Ted Nugent’s Violent Anti-Obama Rhetoric

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/common-hater-sean-hannity-defended-ted-nugents-violent-anti-obama-rhetoric/

[mooreso]

How is Rove or any of his opinions relevant? Or Hannity? Or Palin? They're all actors paid to read a script.

[Kevin M]

Karl Rove, as he clearly demonstrated in the film attached to the article, knows virtually nothing of hip-hop music, culture and Common. He is, in essence, similar to a mathematician criticizing a piece of renaissance art. I'm not comparing Common's work to that of Michelangelo, but the fact remains that Rove is a cold, hard person who has based his life on greed and indifference to the middle and working class.

He is one of the fiscal and political elite in this country. True hip hop represents the exact opposite. It represents the oppressed, the lower class, those who struggle, and especially -- those who overcome adversity.

I'm willing to guarantee that Rove has never listened to more than 30 seconds of a Common track and it was probably in an advertisement. It astounds me that his opinion on the subject is newsworthy. What I enjoy most is his accusation that common is a misogynist. In reality, Common has satirically commented (no pun intended) on the subject very specifically in his music. Listen to the pimp/prostitute skit at the end of "6th Sense" and you know exactly what I mean.

[Logic Gonzalez]

out of touch Mr Rove Check commons music very positive message, soory u only found the dirt, very typical of politics and it would be on the anniversary of Bob Marleys death im sure mr rove just see's marley as a weed head,, loser it goes right back though this is why we see u for what u are a criminal tooshay my friend

[PS in LA]

Oh-you mean like Newt Gingrich? If so-you're sooo right. Newt has no business being in the White House-ever!

[Liz]

"He should try being a minority, living in the places Common grew up, and then he might have some inkling about the hip-hop culture"

Um, if you look at his biography, Common grew up the son of a teacher with a doctorate and an ABA basketbll player, attended Florida A&M University with a scholarship, majored in business....doesn't sound like he was scraping by...

[Mary Wrasman]

I guess this is the first time a misogynist has been invited to the White House. You think? Really?

[Danny]

Yep another black person wanting to go into the white house. Yep common is a thug and doesn't deserve to go to the poetry meeting unless he was showing how to suck at poetry. Then I guess he is VIP status.

[neutron tamper]

So, let me get this straight. Inviting Common to the White House is bad, but Newt Gingrich, a repeat adulterer, running for president is ok?

Mr. Rove, your "morals" are convenient.

[Mike]

Nice try Karl Rove. Misogynist? There isn't a less misogynistic rapper in human history than Common. You can tell Karl Rove is lunging for a weak political point here. He heard rapper and assumed the worst.

[Jay]

Lets see -- Politician or Rapper -- which has more honest? You may not like his music, you may not like his lyrics, but you don't have to like or buy it.

When a politician gets elected, we got to take his crap legislation even if we don't want it.

[Lawrence Mintz]

Hey Karl:

You're a fascist and you were often at the White House involved in far more sinister acts that reading poetry.

[DAN]

RAP IS CRAP.....AND THAT IS THAT.

[Hunkie Boy]

DID THIS THUG ONCE PLAY FOR THE LAKERS?

[$$$Palin666]

But it's A-OK with Palin that she appears at a money making fund raiser for HER that her buddy Ted Nugent who is a draft dodging chicken hawk burnt out aging one-hit-wonder rocker tells the President of the United States to suck on his machine gun??

[Chris Vanoire]

BAADDD MOVE KARL! COMMON IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS POSITIVE MESSAGE. HE RAPS BUT IS 'NOT' THE MYSOGINIST KIND! HE IS ONE OF JUST A HANDFUL OF RAPPERS KNOWN FOR HIS DEEP BUT NEVER VILE SOCIAL COMMENTARY. WATCH HOW THIS WILL RESOUND WITH THE YOUNG GENERATION THAT IS IN THE KNOW. YOU JUST SCREWED US FROM AN ENTIRE VOTING BLOC YOU LOUD MOUTHED IDIOT!!

[Amelia22]

Really? So you guys think it's great that this rapper promotes cop killers?? That's fine?

[Valerie]

This is all a distraction, we could instead be talking about how FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker just took a job at Comcast, after just approving their merger for them. http://bit.ly/mK1bkd

[Greg]

Really? Gosh, I never would have expected an old, white, hardcore right wing politician to dislike rap. Why does this guy's opinion still get so much attention??

[Rick Turnbow]

Jon Stewart said it best, Rove & Hannity seem to have forgotten the sweet utterances in 2007 of their fave right-wing rocker, The Noodge, Sweaty Teddy, Theodore Nugent. BTW, the poem by Common was a couplet, learn poetic structure conservatives.

[el amar supreme]

show me one misogynist lyric from common...or one that glorifies violence...when u make comments like that u wonder why we still consider you racist...u lump us all together no matter what....common isone of the most conscious positive rappers out there...one or two lines out of context doesnt give a full picture of him as an artist...but...believing falshood never stopped yall before...proceed....

[Jennison]

Karl ROVE: The atrocities you commited during the BUSH administration is nothing compared to this rapper knocking on the front door of the White House to confirm that the past administration was just plain wrong. WRONG! WRONG!
And since you were Bush's brain, I guess you would take offense to this, but your power is gone and waning, and hopefully your will just disintegrate and blow away in the wind aimed towards the middle east.

[The Derider]

If you don't know what dog whistle racism is, this is dog whistle racism.

[Montana]

Sarah Palin was so successful as a governor, she graduated early (The Bitter Quitter), she real is a “Dan Quayle” in heels. She clearly loves “dishing it out” but real can’t take it because she loves playing the victim card. Poor thing she fail as a VP candidate (her lie that her daughter was engaged was such a farce), her stand-up comic fiasco on the Jay Leno Show, please, her TV show canceled after declining rating, I guess running for Prez is the only thing she can look forward to, but since she is a coward she will only throw small minded rocks, poor thing. Since we already had an idiot “W” that caused our current economic debacle, America knows not to trust in fools who think they are brilliant. One of the reason for “W” failure was his drinking, Palin just has bad genes.

[Bob Guiel]

Who care what Rove has to say anyway. He's as corrupt and self-serving as anyone can be. He doesn't care AT ALL about the common people or their opinions.