FLASHBACK: Karl Rove: “I Think President Obama Needs To Be Complimented” For Bin Laden Raid

Written by Simon Maloy

Published

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed this morning, Karl Rove attacked the documentary released by President Obama's reelection campaign and dismissed “the killing of Osama bin Laden,” writing: “Mr. Obama did what virtually any commander in chief would have done in the same situation. Even President Bill Clinton says in the film 'that's the call I would have made.' For this to be portrayed as the epic achievement of the first term tells you how bare the White House cupboards are.”

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post pointed out that Rove actually twisted Clinton's words -- in the documentary, Clinton said: “He took the harder and the more honorable path. When I saw what had happened, I thought to myself, 'I hope that's the call I would have made.' ” [emphasis added]

And as it turns out, Clinton's praise for Obama's handling of the Bin Laden raid was echoed by... Karl Rove.

On May 2, 2011, the day after Bin Laden's death was announced, Rove appeared on Fox & Friends and said “I think President Obama needs to be complimented on his handling of this operation.”

That same morning, Rove tweeted:

UPDATE:

The Wall Street Journal has updated Rove's column with the full Clinton quote and an editor's note: “An earlier version of this column included an incomplete quote from Bill Clinton in the last paragraph.”