Letter: New assignment for Rove is unlawful

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 | 7:20 a.m.

What is happening to Washington? President Bush announces that Karl Rove will no longer be involved in national policy matters and will be confined to political matters.

That means his job is to help assure that Republican members of Congress are elected in November as well as the Republican presidential candidate two years from now. Nothing new. Democratic presidents do the same thing, but not as openly.

It is still unlawful for employees in the various federal departments and agencies to spend taxpayer-money for political purposes. Since when has it become lawful for White House employees to do the same? Yet when we hear what Mr. Rove's new job is, we do not hear a peep from Congress or from the media. It is now accepted universally, apparently.

Well, I don't accept it. I think it's unlawful for the taxpayer to pay for someone to put in a day's work to put one particular party in power. What is that employee doing on the White House payroll who is supposed to be there to assist in governing, not to assist in bringing victory to one party?

Congress doesn't object because both parties like the idea, the media doesn't object because it tends to accept established practices, but, thank goodness, there is still another branch of government. If the validity of such a position paid for by the taxpayer were brought before a federal court, I'm confident there would be a unanimous opinion that there is something unlawful here.

Herman Gordon, Las Vegas