Karl Rove visits Provo on book tour

PROVO — Political analyst Karl Rove weighed in briefly on Arizona's new immigration law and Bob Bennett's re-election campaign Wednesday afternoon before settling down to sign books for a few dozen fans.

Rove, who was senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to former President George W. Bush for seven years, was in Utah promoting his book "Courage and Consequence" at the Provo Borders bookstore, the first stop in the state.

But while Borders employees said they had reports of 80 people lined up in Logan anticipating Rove's 6 p.m. appearance, only a few had arrived early for the afternoon signing in Provo.

"Utah's a great place to come back to," said Rove, whose years at Olympus High School, where his political activism began, are covered in a few pages in his new memoir.

Rove, who has publicly criticized Arizona's new immigration law, was more circumspect in his Provo appearance, saying it was too early to tell if the tough law would turn Latino voters away from the Republican party but that the tone of the discussion about enforcement would be important.

"How it affects the Latino voters depends not just on the policy but on attitude," Rove said. "We can't communicate to the Latino population that they are not welcome. I think that's where we have to be really careful."

Rove also said he supported Bennett, who he said is being hurt by a nationwide anti-Washington sentiment. He has known Bennett since he worked as a high school student on the 1968 re-election campaign for Bennett's father, Sen. Wallace F. Bennett.

"All I know is I'm for Bennett," he said. "He is a stalwart conservative with a moderate temperament. It's valuable to have party members like that to reach across party lines."

Those lined up for Rove's signature expressed support for the man who managed George W. Bush's presidential campaigns and who keeps in the public eye as a contributor for Fox News.

Jennifer Soter, of Springville, who was first in line with her two preschool children, said she was excited when she found out he was coming to Provo.

"I have heard Karl Rove a lot on Fox news, and I agree with everything he says," Soter said.

Rove spent a few minutes mugging for the news cameras with Soter's children before signing books.

Dan Allen, a recent graduate from BYU in political science, described Rove as his "political idol."

"He gets a lot of flak for things he doesn't deserve," Allen said.

Outside Borders Bookstore, a handful of protesters lined up to give Rove some of that flak.

Brian Kelly, an Orem resident who said he owned a small business, stood holding sheet of butcher paper with a hand-lettered message that read: "Karl. I'm a Republican and I don't like you."

"If any Republican has the backing of Karl Rove, they won't get elected on the Republican side," Kelly said. "I am not voting for Bennett, I am not for Hatch. But I like Jason (Chaffetz)."

Rove will make one stop Thursday at the Barnes & Noble at 5249 S. State in Murray from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. before moving on to Albuquerque.

E-mail: mhaddock@desnews.com