The Mind Meld Man.

As we continue thumbing through this month's Vanity Fair, we come to an article on the Michael Jackson trial where a reporter who was in the courtroom the entire time chronicles the overwhelming evidence of Jackson's guilt. But let's skip that one, shall we?

Then we have "The Power of Rove." Karl Rove does fascinate me. He never seems to want to seek the limelight himself. A recent PBS film on Rove was titled "The Architect." It seems Rove is seen as a mastermind that fills liberals with dread. The well known expression of the Rove "mind meld" is never mentioned though. Political skill is a gift, I think. It's about instinct. Bill Clinton has it and so does Rove.

Rove's past is painful. Soon after his parents break up he discovers that his father is not really his biological father. Then his mother commits suicide. Tough, tough things to overcome. Rove does not talk about it either. But he will talk about President Bush, whom he met when Bush was 27 yrs old. Rove says he was struck by the "huge amounts of charisma, swagger, cowboy boots, flight jacket, wonderful smile, just charisma -you know, wow." Rove says Bush drove a "purple Gremlin with Levi interior." An interesting tidbit considering how that sort of dilutes Bush's rich boy image.

Rove is known for his dirty tricks. He once handed out free food and drink invitations to the local homeless for an opponent's campaign event. He is best known for his direct mail success in creating the first real Republican data base of supporters in Texas. In 1977 when Rove arrives, Texas is all Democrat. Rove becomes the go to man if you are a Republican. I guess you could say he changed it all for us here. I never knew that before. God bless him!

In politics, it's all about image. Rove seems to know how to create an image. He seems to know how to fly below the radar as well. And, lucky for Bush, he seems utterly devoted to him.