Character Counts, Rove Tells Grads at Liberty University
President Bush’s chief political advisor told graduates of the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University on Saturday to judge leaders on the basis of character.
America needs people who have “the moral clarity and courage to do what’s right, regardless of consequence, fashion or fad,” Karl Rove said.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 10, 2004 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Monday May 10, 2004 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 61 words Type of Material: Correction
Karl Rove -- In some editions of Sunday’s Section A, an article contained a remark attributed to Karl Rove, political advisor to President Bush, that had been incorrectly summarized. Speaking to new graduates of Liberty University, Rove did not advise them to never act smarter than their bosses. He said, “Don’t act like you’re smarter than the person you’re interviewing with....”
“You either have values ingrained in your heart and soul that will not change with the wind or you don’t,” he said.
Rove also reminded the 2,041 graduates to pay off their credit cards. He advised them that when they go to job interviews, “don’t act like you’re smarter than the person you’re interviewing with. Even if you are.”
Rove reminisced about his political beginnings, saying he put a Nixon bumper sticker on his bicycle. But the “Catholic girl down the street was a couple years and about 20 pounds on me. She was for Kennedy,” he said, and bloodied his nose when she saw the Nixon bumper sticker.
“Despite that beating, I never lost interest in politics,” Rove said.
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