Washington (CNN) - Karl Rove predicted Thursday that the political outlook for Republicans looks sunny, but bleak for Democrats heading into the midterm elections. This shouldn't be a surprise coming from President George W. Bush's top political advisor.
In an interview with CNN Chief National Correspondent John King, Rove discussed the 2010 elections including the possibility that Republicans will retake the House.
"I think, you know, before health care passed, I was saying 23 to 30," Rove said in the interview on John King, USA about the number of seats he expected the GOP to win. "I think the number's going to be slightly higher now.
He added, "But it could conceivably be a Republican majority in the House."
As for Senate Democrats, Rove believes they should also worry.
In his estimation, if the election were held now, Democrats "would be lucky to get 51" seats, perhaps even less, Rove said. Less than 50 seats would mean that Republicans would return to power in the Senate. If it were a 50-50 split, Democrats would retain the majority because of Vice President Joe Biden's vote as president of the Senate.
In the interview, Rove said Democrats may not escape, what he called, "the wrath of the American people." He cited anger over the new health care law and recent Republican victories in the Virginia and New Jersey governor races, and Republican Sen. Scott Brown's success in Massachusetts.
Rove added, "There are concerns about the failure of the stimulus bill, there's anger about cap and trade, the spending record of this administration and the flow of red ink coming out of the Obama White House are already fueling a lot of voter angst."
However, Rove also warned his own party. "You cannot surf a wave of discontent with Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to victory. That'll only get you so far," Rove said. He urged Republicans to lay out conservative solutions to the nation's problems as a way to win in November.
Rove was asked about one slogan Republicans say they plan to use: "repeal and replace" the new health care reform law.
"No Republican is out there saying, take away the $40 billion in small business tax credits in this bill," he said. "What they are saying is, get rid of the $466 billion in subsidies to insurance companies that begin in 2014, and get rid of the $434 billion of federal dollars, plus hundreds of billions of dollars as state dollars for Medicaid expansion. Let us find a less costly way of solving this problem."
Rove said the expansion of Medicaid will not completely ramp up until 2017, and said the same about the expansion of the new insurance "exchanges" created by the law.
"But the pain starts now, with higher premiums, drug companies starting to raise prices to take care of the $2 billion in taxes they're going to get hit with next year," Rove said.
Rove also discussed the selection of Dick Cheney as Bush's running mate in 2000.
From CNN Politics
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After their reprehensible lies and hate speech, after the rash of hate mail, death threats and violence that their hate speech has unleashed, and given the public already approves of the bill, they'll be lucky if they pick up 10 seats.
The Democrats will run on a stimulus bill that not only halted the economic decline in its tracks but turned it around (the markets all hit 18 month highs today), a health care bill that will already be producing tangible results next fall, a jobs bill that will be stimulating more economic growth.
As desperately as the Republicans want the economy to fail, it isn't. As desperately as they want acts of Islamic terrorism to occur on American soil, they aren't, but they are inciting acts of domestic terrorism by their own lunatic fringe. Unless Republicans cut bait with lunatics, they have no hope of regaining the hearts and minds of the American people.
It's time for Republicans to stop hating America.
Too bad that you did not suffer the wrath of the court system for all the illegal acts you were involved in.
let us repeel them and recycle them....it will be a good thing
I think the Republicans should worry. Once people can see the GREAT THINGS this healthcare plan will bring I think Rove will be the one who is not just a pain but will be in pain.
the only ones who will feel the wrath of the american people are the republicans at the ballot box come november and they owe it all to people like rove and his dirty politics.
My crystal ball tells me the GOP outlook in November is very bleak! Sorry Karl but I don't want a drink from your kool-aid.
Rove is wrong again. Once more people understand this reform bill they will be mad as heck at the GOP.
Yes it could be however it looks more like the GOP will continue to free fall as the pary continues to be run by the likes of you. It's a shame for there are some true conservatives out there with good ideas, but they'll never be heard over the yells of the tea baggers.
You keep telling yourself that. You and your repugs are pathetic fear mongering liars.
What's next on your agenda?
Rove you are wrong. The republicans are going to see the wrath of the American people. Just wait and see HEE HEE HEE. You are so stupid Rove. Just like George Bush.
It's Porky Pig again !!
One word " WMD ".
This guy is like 1932 Nazi Germany all over again !
Give Rove some thigh high boots and short pants !
I think just the opposite Karl. I think the Republicans are poised to have losses and the 60 seat majority may return to the Senate.
I speak for many independents who are weary of all the negative, fear-mongering embraced by Republicans. I can't think of any positive thing the Republicans have said or done all year. Why would we entrust those kinds of unhealthy minds with the future of our country?
He could not be more wrong. Once the people find out Republicans did nothing but lie about the bill, and people start seeing the truth about the good this bill can bring to the middle class, the Republicans will evaporate. This will bring the Republicans to a halt and they deserve every bit of it. Oh and lets not forget the eight years of terror and economical disater the Cheney /Bush administration brought forth.
The only effective party that Rove could host is a show and tell with a group of GOP politicos and they could hold it at Bohener tanning tub.
WOULDA ... COULDA ... SHOULDA ....
What has he said that is of substance?
I hope that voters hold the Party-of-No responsible for being obstrunctionists.
I hope they hold them responsible for working "banker's hours" yesterday.
I hope they give President Obama an even larger majority in Congress.
Each GOP member is a brick in the wall called GRIDLOCK.
Rove is at it again – pushing lies and trying to pump up his base, using code words like "wrath."
The Republicans are all running scared, because they know that people will start feeling the positive effects of health care reform before the November elections – and that as people realize reform is a good thing, they'll simultaneously realize that the GOP tried their best to block it.
And the GOP will be out of power for the next 40 years – just like they were out of power after trying to block Social Security, Medicare, Voting Rights and Environmental Protections in the 60s and 70s.
Never before has the American taxpayer been insulted as much as from this administration and congress. Never before has an American President spent so much and accomplished so little. Never before has a President and congress shown such a disregard for appropriate political behavior and rules of conduct. These trends are intensely disturbing. This is not what Americans want from a federal government. If they don't hear us yet they absolutely will in November and in 2012!
I really can't understand why people are suddenly getting so upset by the trend toward socialism in this country. Heck, it sems to me that we've been headed in that perilous direction all of my life, and I am 78 years old.
I don't need Rove to tell me how badly the democrats are going to get defeated in the mid term elections. It's obvious when I watch the news and listen to my coworkers (and many of them voted for OBAMA). They are furious with Obama, Reid and Pelosi!!!! as am I.
Just like the INNOCENT Iraqies suffered the rath of you?
Or the GOP could suffer the same fate of Alf Landon who ran against FDR on a platform of repealing Social Security and got trounced. No one knows for sure but for now my prediction makes as much sense as his.
In 2008 Rove and Bush were hiding behind bushes, and sneaking into all the cool GOP parties via the back door, LOL...
Now he is everywhere again, He must really think us Americans have forgotten who and what he has done...Sorry Rove I dont know who your are polling for your data, but in the real world regardless of what you think ,Americans are not stupid! 2008 proved that fact!
Sure,
And Democratic economonic policies caused the recession in 2008, right?
This is the same guy who claimed the republicans would easily hold on to congress in 2006.