Bush's Brain (2004)

Documentary. A somewhat murky and plodding indictment of the Machiavellian Karl Rove's "dirty tricks" and "scorched earth" political maneuverings, which can be characterized over the decades in every instance as (a) taking total control of all details of a client's political campaign, (b) pulling the dirtiest tricks imaginable (doing "whatever it takes" to win), (c) destroying the candidate's campaign but often also his career and family, and (d) denying involvement in any dirty tricks. This is the guy who did all this to machinate a takeover of the Young Republicans at age 22! Karl Rove is the original divider who believes himself to be a uniter (as did the Fascists, only they had guns). Rove was more than a brilliant conquistador for the Republican party and a Svengali for Bush; he polluted the waters and destroyed honorable "competition in the marketplace of ideas" for at least the present generation of bipartisan politics. It's vital to the healing of our nation and authentic (as opposed to mindless) patriotism that he has been drubbed out of office and should eventually be made to answer for his sins. How interesting that none of the members of the Bush administration have served in a war, and they call this a "war presidency" even as they mismanage and neglect every domestic crisis and military theater they have faced -- while continually if falsely claiming political victory. 3.5 stars.