Bush's Brain

Starring:Tom Pauken, Rick Perry (II), Wade Lieseke Jr., Chuck McDonald, Cathy Bonner, Bill Clinton, Susie Lieseke, Max Cleland, George W. Bush, Glenn Smith (II), Richard Leiby, Laura Bush, Joseph Wilson, Shirley Cuff, Mark White (XII), Mike Moeller, Lee Atwater, Bill Miller (XIII), Ann Richards (II), William P. Clements Jr.
Director: Michael Shoob, Joseph Mealey (II)
Studio: Tartan Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
A late bloomer among the rich harvest of political documentaries released in 2004, Bush's Brain is potently revealing yet maddeningly pedestrian in its attack on Karl Rove, the powerful presidential advisor nicknamed "Bush's Brain" for serving in effect as co-president in the George W. Bush administration. Slapped together for the sake of an expedient pre-election release, the film makes a convincing case (while offering no tangible proof) that Rove conducts ruthlessly effective Republican campaigns on the belief that "the ends justify the means." Based on the book by James C. Moore and James Slater (both featured prominently in abundant talking-head interviews), the film lacks the coherent structure that would've made it truly effective, assumes considerable foreknowledge on the part of the viewer, and regrettably includes a tear-jerking, non sequitur digression about the grieving family of a beloved Marine who was killed in Iraq. But the film's shattering allegations and heartbreaking testimonies suggest, in no uncertain terms, that Rove is pulling the Presidential strings, remaining virtually untouchable while winning elections by any means necessary. As a fascinating study of alleged corruption and unchecked ambition, Bush's Brain is anything but balanced, but it's an important film that invites viewers to draw their own conclusions. --Jeff Shannon
Description
Karl Rove is President George W. Bush's closest advisor. He is a man who has almost single-handedly shaped the policies of our nation. Feared and admired by Republicans and Democrats allike, Rove has raised a new and disturbing question for Americans: who really runs the country? This DVD explores Rove's remarkable political journey and the extraordinary role he has played in Bush's rise to the top. DVD features include chapter selection, theatrical trailer, bonus interviews, and previously unseen documentary footage.

Bush's Brain
Average customer rating:

Rove as "Genius" and Language Distortion

Scary!

Straighten out these comments please

Karl Rove: A Clear and Present Danger to American Politics

Real Title: The Case Against Karl Rove

Bush's Brain
Starring: Dave McNeely , Alan Dixon (II) , Barbara Bush , Bill Israel , and Tom Pauken
Director: Joseph Mealey (II) , and Michael Shoob
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002V7SMA
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Amazon.com

A late bloomer among the rich harvest of political documentaries released in 2004, Bush's Brain is potently revealing yet maddeningly pedestrian in its attack on Karl Rove, the powerful presidential advisor nicknamed "Bush's Brain" for serving in effect as co-president in the George W. Bush administration. Slapped together for the sake of an expedient pre-election release, the film makes a convincing case (while offering no tangible proof) that Rove conducts ruthlessly effective Republican campaigns on the belief that "the ends justify the means." Based on the book by James C. Moore and James Slater (both featured prominently in abundant talking-head interviews), the film lacks the coherent structure that would've made it truly effective, assumes considerable foreknowledge on the part of the viewer, and regrettably includes a tear-jerking, non sequitur digression about the grieving family of a beloved Marine who was killed in Iraq. But the film's shattering allegations and heartbreaking testimonies suggest, in no uncertain terms, that Rove is pulling the Presidential strings, remaining virtually untouchable while winning elections by any means necessary. As a fascinating study of alleged corruption and unchecked ambition, Bush's Brain is anything but balanced, but it's an important film that invites viewers to draw their own conclusions. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Karl Rove is President George W. Bush's closest advisor. He is a man who has almost single-handedly shaped the policies of our nation. Feared and admired by Republicans and Democrats allike, Rove has raised a new and disturbing question for Americans: who really runs the country? This DVD explores Rove's remarkable political journey and the extraordinary role he has played in Bush's rise to the top. DVD features include chapter selection, theatrical trailer, bonus interviews, and previously unseen documentary footage.

Customer Reviews:

Rove as "Genius" and Language Distortion.......2007-03-11

In these days of spin control language distortions are such a popular pastime that it is becoming increasingly impossible to separate distortion from reality, which is what the spinmeisters of propaganda and discontent are seeking to achieve.

The interesting documentary film "Bush's Brain" adapted from the book of the same name by veteran Texas political journalists James C. Moore and Wayne Slater is interestingly divided up between those who clearly see through Karl Rove, the film's subject, and those who do not wish to do so. Many in the latter category have become Rove enablers and sycophants of the most repellent variety.

After watching this revealing film I thought it advisable to look up the word genius in the dictionary to learn its actual definition. According to the Random House and American Heritage editions genius is defined as a gift for creative and intellectual activity. The psychological definition is also mentioned involving individuals who score above 140 on a standard IQ test.

Among the Rove admirers who equate his political activities with "genius" an early triumph was discussed extending back to Rove's early days in the College Republicans. When popular Illinois Democrat Alan Dixon, who would eventually serve his state in the U.S. Senate, was holding a rally at his headquarters while running for statewide office early in his career, Rove borrowed a page from the dirty tricks playbook of his political idol Richard Nixon.

In an attempt to embarrass Dixon and other local Illinois Democrats, Rove emissaries visited a downtrodden section and passed out handbills to alcoholics and derelicts, inviting them to a party replete with free food and drink. A group of the most unfortunate citizens of the community subsequently descended on Dixon headquarters and ruined the candidate's best-laid plans.

Did this Rove maneuver embody genius? There can be no reasonable doubt that an Einstein creating a theory of relativity or a Beethoven writing a Ninth Symphony embodies genius.

Does it require genius to engage in what would by the gentlest definition constitute tasteless mischief? Is rounding up the most tragic and downtrodden of a citizenry and using them cruelly as pawns, motivating them to descend on a political meeting in the expectation of free food and drink, in any way reflective of creative genius?

Other incidents abound in this revealing documentary about the checkered past of Rove. When he sought to destroy the momentum of Mark White in his race for governor of Texas against Rove's candidate, Rove called the media to report an incident of a bugging of his office. The only person with any motive to do so, according to Rove, was the White campaign. The bug only carried a short distance and needed periodic battery restoration. Savvy reporters like Glenn Smith were convinced that Rove, who had seemingly the only motivation to do so to alter the race's dynamics, had supervised the planting of the bug.

Rove has succeeded because he has had big bucks behind him and too many with the insight to expose him have remained silent.

Scary!.......2007-01-27

If you want to rent a true horror movie, watch Bush's Brain, based on the book by two Texan reporters. Their assertion that Karl Rove is running the White House is frightening because apparently he's a brilliant but ruthless man that no one elected.

This DVD was released in 2004. Much of the information is outdated. Only brief allusions were made to the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq whereas much attention was paid to the background of Karl Rove -- if even 1/10 of that is true, he is a man without a soul or a conscience and he's directing our domestic and foreign policy.

The big surprise is not so much how Bush and Rove pulled this scam off; the true surprise to me is how the electorate put these men in for a second term! The first term was quite "iffy." It could be argued that Bush was appointed by the Supreme Court because that race was so damn close, but all that really says is that the country was divided right down the middle in terms of partisan politics.

When we knew perfectly well that Bush revealed himself as a war president, why, oh why elect him for a second term? Thankfully, he'll be ousted in 2008 but that's not soon enough for the dept that he's run up, the programs that he's destroyed, the American troops that he's sent needlessly to die or be maimed, and the horrific damage that he inflicted on the country and the people of Iraq. And this is only January. He's got lots of time to expand his reign.

Sigrid Macdonald
Ottawa, Ontario (formerly from New Jersey)

Straighten out these comments please.......2006-06-28

Giving this film a neutral star rating so its rating isn't unduly altered. I've seen this film; like any political documentary, there's a degree of Kool-Aide drinking that has to occur before everything goes down unopposed. I personally enjoyed it very much, but you have to maintain a healthy bit of suspicion when you view something as politically charged as "Bush's Brain".

Which is why reading the reviews here is so distrubing. I should be able to find one- and two-star ratings with enlightened Bush-friendly commentary as to why this film is bogus, right? In the service of keeping an open mind?

So here's my request. If you're going to give this film a one- or two-star rating that derides it, or that explicitly supports Bush, or that personally attacks the film's producers or the book's authors, would you please:

1. Gather some facts
2. Form an idea that you can establish in writing
3. Make sure you've actually seen the film

K? Thanks.

Karl Rove: A Clear and Present Danger to American Politics.......2006-05-08

Bush' brain depicts the tactics and character of George W. Bush's political consultant, Karl Rove. They describe Rove as an American Svenghali who will stop at nothing to get his candidate elected. They provide compelling proof of the history of dirty tricks he has been involved in.

As a nerdy kid, Rove took an interest in republican politics at an early age. As a member of his high school's debating team he would bring stacks of index cards to intimidate his opponents, opponents who didn't know that many of the cards were blank.

In college, Rove broke into the office of a democratic candidate and stole his stationery. He printed up hundreds of copies saying that there would be free food and free beer at the opening of the candidate's new headquarters. He delivered the flyers across campus and skid row. Rove's character was taking shape.

But we really get to know Rove's chicanery and penchant for dirty tricks when he is directing the campaign of the republican candidate for governor of Texas in 1986. With the race at a dead heat, Rove "discovers" and announces finding a bugging device poorly concealed in his office, the day before the candidates' debate. Rove implies that it was planted by the opposition. As the Texas Rangers are closing in on the investigation, a republican judge closes the investigation, and Rove's candidate wins. It turns out the battery in the bug had a life of six hours, and the FBI had determined that only .2 of the battery's juice had been used--fifteen minutes. Was it planted by Karl Rove to make it look like it was from the opposition? The interviewees in this story answer with a decided yes.

Rove's other penchant was mastering the "whisper campaigns" against Governor Ann Richards and Senator John McCain. These whispers implied that Richards was lesbian, and McCain had a baby from a black prostitute, that McCain had turned in his fellow prisoners to his captors in Vietnam.

Bush announces that he has no knowledge of where these attacks against John McCain are coming from, and does not accept responsibility for them. The DVD makes it quite clear that Rove was running everything about the campaign. And the candidate who was going to bring personal responsibility to the White House, denied the same.

Senator McClellan a three-limbed amputee veteran of Vietnam was attacked as a man who opposed homeland security legislation and protrayed as soft on terrorism. He did oppose homeland security legislation, but only President Bush's plan.

But Rove's penchant for revenge was also chilling. When Ambassador Wilson's refuted the president's state of the union message about Saddam Hussein seeking uranium "yellow cake" from Niger, Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent in a column printed by Robert Novak. This exposure is ironic on several levels. One, it was President Bush (41) who signed into law making it a crime to expose a CIA agent. Two, Valerie Plame's job was to identify and prevent middle eastern countries from acquiring nuclear technology and weapons. Three, it was Karl Rove who was fired from the Reagan/Bush campaign for leaking sensitive information to--Robert Novak.

The DVD falters where it attempts to show that Karl Rove really does not care at all about the troops he helped send into Iraq. The focus here is on one married marine lieutenant's family who mourn his death in Iraq. This is a deliberate plug for sympathy and anger against Rove. Rove has certainly accomplished enough for a nation to be angry about without this story.

As for the reviews that see this DVD as an obvious slant against Rove, well, that's exactly what it was supposed to be. There is no reason to create a balance when you are trying to tilt that balance in your favor. Besides, if you have to show the good in Karl Rove, this DVD may have been impossible to make.

If prosecutor Fitzpatrick's investigation is able to get at the truth, Karl Rove, President Bush, and Vice President Cheney may have a lot to answer for.

Real Title: The Case Against Karl Rove.......2006-03-28

As a fan of Karl Rove I loved this DVD as there was plenty of old video and other things I had not seen before. The old TV interviews were great! This was so obviously slanted by the two "authors" who have always been haters of Bush and Rove if you grew up reading their "work" or if you have heard them speak. So with that out in th open, the entire video has to be taken with a grain of salt.

The best example of the blatant slant of this DVD was the man who's parents died and he felt the stress of Rove had done that to her. Come on! The military tilt was good and I'm glad Slater and Moore are such great patriots who care for our soldiers. For every brave soldier who has died there is a similar great story about their life. Let me know when Slater and Rove release the video of the families of the 3,000 innocent citizens who died on September 11, 2001. I'd also like to see a "work" from Slater and Moore about Daniel Pearl and the countless others who have been brutally beheaded by our friends overseas.

I recommend the DVD to everyone. I will be saving my copy and I will watch it every now and then to learn something new that I might be able to employ as a young operative myself. My biggest problem with the DVD is that it wasn't longer. There could have been a lot more detail about the 1994 and 1998 elections.

Average customer rating:

Why Haven't You Watched This Yet? A Must See for Every American!!!
I believe in an alien conspiracy...

Bush's Brain
Starring: Jacques Vroom
Director: Joseph Mealey , Michael Shoob , and Michael Paradies Shoob
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Bush's Brain
Bush Family Fortunes - The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
The World According to Bush
Unconstitutional - The War On Our Civil Liberties
Control Room

ASIN: B000B5XP2E
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Description

The relationship between Karl Rove and President George W. Bush is one of the most fascinating political marriages in history. Rove's masterful manipulation not only succeeded in winning Bush a second term, but helped secure him the honor of Time magazine's 2004 "Person of the Year." Feared and admired by Republicans and Democrats alike, Rove has raised a new and disturbing question for America: Who really runs the country?

Customer Reviews:

Why Haven't You Watched This Yet? A Must See for Every American!!!.......2007-03-27

This is one of the infamous DVD's of the new neo-con era. It carefully follows this one time,unpopular, nerdy and and mean tempered schoolyard whipping boy through his power hungry filled rise through the ranks of the Republican Party. It tells of his insatiable lust for power which he can only attain through conflict, deception and revenge. It shows how he was unable to gain positive acheivement in the political world and quickly became Don Segretti's (the Original Republican King of Dirty Tricks) engenue, and whom eventually does the "All About Eve" thing to Segretti in the onset of his introduction to the Bush 41 administration. He is the "King of Dirty Tricks and Propaganda". Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, did much less lying than Rove does today.

This film follows one Rove orchestrated campaign of misinformation after another. It puts into perspective the nagging stories that have surrounded Bush 43 and it's arrogance in disregarding the US Constitution and establishing a "Republicans Only" government. It tells why Rove has a callous disinterest in competition and how he WAS able to manipulate minor incidents into major, election changing events. We get to see the "break in that started it all" which sheds light into the recent alleged "break into Senator Allen's campaign HQ". It was easy to brush off and laugh at that 2006 day before the mid-term election nonsense. Even though I would have liked to have it explain the "no more elected Democrat" plans that were running rampant since the eary Watergate days. I would also liked more examples of the Nixon Admin fledglings that populate many of the sensitive and essential offices in our current government. Not since the inception of this government, has so many inexperienced AND corporately corrupted people filled these seats before. This brings most of the center of these deceptions and mean-spirited actions into focus. We get to see the origins of the now imploding current administration. It is an eye opener..
Metaldiva Sez:
EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO BUY AND WATCH THIS MOVIE, THEN SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE THAT THEY CAN.

I believe in an alien conspiracy..........2006-01-21

Imagine, a group of film makers travelling around the country seeking out a series of political losers. Shock, horror, gasp... each of those interviewed then come across as bitter and spiteful.

This title brings new definition to bias.

However, it is a must have item. The DVD is worth purchasing for no other reason but to laugh and point out the gross inacuracy and double standards put forward throughout the entire 'documentary'.

Have fun!

Average customer rating:

>bt: The Brain Terminal Video Set

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

Shown on Fox News Channel and praised by Rush Limbaugh, Brit Hume, Sean Hannity and other media powerhouses, the Brain Terminal videos have been seen and heard by millions on TV, radio and the Internet. "This is from Evan Coyne Maloney, the brilliant young man who took his video camcorder out amongst the protesters in New York, and asked them questions, the answers to which served as profound embarrasment to themselves, whether they knew it or not. We played three soundbites from Evan's work, his work also showed up on Brit Hume's show on the Fox News Channel." -Rush Limbaugh (on The Rush Limbaugh Show) "[Evan] makes the best, most revealing mini-documentaries about the left. Period." -Jonah Goldberg (National Review) "Check out Evan Coyne Maloney's hilarious video..." -James Taranto (The Wall Street Journal's "Best of the Web Today") "[B]e sure you watch Evan Coyne Maloney's antiwar protest [video]. I think web video journalism is the wave of the future. This is proof." -Glenn Reynolds (InstaPundit.com) "Glenn Reynolds has been saying for some time that multimedia dispatches such as Maloney's are the next big thing on the web. He doesn't look wrong." -Jonathan V. Last (The Weekly Standard)

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