Rove Book Signing Gets Surprise Ending

It wasn't your average book singing.

Former White House political adviser Karl Rove drew a crowd when he took his book tour to Los Angeles Monday, but many of them were not there to buy his memoir, "Courage and Consequence: My Life As a Conservative in the Fight."

A group of anti-war protestors ambushed Rove during his book signing, calling him names and forcing him to leave the Beverly Hills event early because of the disruptions.

Photos: Karl Rove

Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans on Monday walked toward Rove with handcuffs, saying she was making a citizen's arrest.

CBS News 2 caputured the drama on tape.

"Look what you did, you outted a CIA officer; you lied to take us to war; you totally ruined a country!" Evans yelled.

About 100 supporters had earlier cheered Rove, but the 10 protesters continually heckled him while he spoke and as he autographed copies of the book for fans.

Evans called him a war criminal. Another protestor added, "The only comfort I take is that you are going to rot in hell."

A riled-up Rove may have added to the chaos.

"With all due respect, this shows the totalitarianism of the left, they don't believe in dialogue; they don't believe in courtesy; they don't believe in First Amendment rights for anyone but themselves!" Rove charged.

Rove then left the Saban Theatre stage and no one was arrested.

In "Courage and Consequence," Rove argues that history will look favorably on Bush's two-term presidency, particularly his decision to invade Iraq. Rove calls the 2003 invasion the most consequential act of the Bush presidency and a justifiable response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, even though al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, not Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, were responsible.

Also a defender of Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated states along the Gulf of Mexico in September 2005, Rove tackles that touchy subject in his book as well.

He blames state and local officials, particularly Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, both Democrats, for botching recovery efforts.

Watch below as angry anti-war protester and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans try to make citizen's arrest on Rove.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

[endurorob_5]

I would have to agree with Rove on the Katrina issue. It has been years now and large parts of New Orleans are still a mess while Mississippi has everything back to normal. All the people in New Orleans do are whine and complain that nothign is being done for them. They should take a lesson from Mississippi and clean up their mess.

[pasmalltown]

More "opinion" from the monday morning quarterback... Of course deflecting blame("He blames state and local officials, particularly Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, both Democrats, for botching recovery efforts.") NOW is a convient sidestep for the Bush administration's lame attempt THEN, shortly after Katrina occurred. Rob, if you continue to forget the mistakes of the past, you will be condemned to repeat them, over and over again........

[endurorob_5]

stn_sage March 30, 2010 5:21 PM EDT
He's lucky someone didn't just walk up to him, pull out a gun, and shoot him! And, you can bet if it happened, the vast majority of Americans would consider it a 'mercy killing', just, and terribly good news!



And you liberals whine and complain about the hate from the right. Liberals of America today ae the biggest hypocrits the world has ever seen.

[CBSisCommunist5]

It is OK to disrupt REPUBLICANS,but when Democrats are disrupted then it is a different matter. The complaining starts.

NO Hypocracy!!!!

[hillarynow]

You have spewed quite a bit of hatred and vitrol publicly for the Americans that don't agree with you Rove, that's more than half of America last count, and so we call you on your war crimes and on all you have done to destroy America, which you have, and you can't take it.

[nolieshere]

I hope these people show up every time 'Piglet' tries to sell his book.

[anOPINIONATEDsob]

Anyone ignorant enough to believe the writings of Rove, Palin, Beck or Limbaugh to be anything beyond a feble attempt to alter history is mentally challenged in their own right. Thankfully, we have the congressional record and some of us actually have first hand knowlege of what really took place. The public may soon discover that the current administration is the least corrupt in several decades. The certiancy is that those listed above have no desire for the truth to become common knowlege for fear of criminal reprisals.

[bruceben9]

ubelievable that there are still idiots here that want to connect 9/11 to alkyduh. are they stupid, disingenuous, or sheeplecons? maybe all of the above?

[starleo146]

alkyduh by bruceben9 March 30, 2010 6:02 PM EDT


Were you trying Mr Intelligent trying to say Al Queda, we are not all dumb here. You sir are in denial

[stn_sage]

He's lucky someone didn't just walk up to him, pull out a gun, and shoot him! And, you can bet if it happened, the vast majority of Americans would consider it a 'mercy killing', just, and terribly good news!

[citizenusa-2009]

You are right. This man is absolutely vicious. They called him "George Bush's Brain" (and Bush called him "Turd Blossom"). This man IS a WAR CRIMINAL and laughs in our faces while walking FREE. THOUSANDS are DEAD AND MAIMED because of his role in the NEEDLESSLY AGGRESSIVE invasion of a country having NOTHING TO DO WITH 911.

The little pig should have been indicted along with the rest of the Bush Crime Family. Do you hear me Uncle D.I.C.K.E.Y?

[mrsb8]

You think it's okay to shoot and kill someone because you think they have committed crimes but not actually been convicted of anything? And people say the "right" condones violence.

[StewieEsq]

OK, getting in his face and disrupting his speech is overly confrontational and the rt could legitimately complain about that as not conducive to civil political discourse.

However, none of the code pink protesters showed up carrying a gun. None of the code pink protesters called for Rove, or any other Bush admin figure to be executed, tortured, etc. None of the code pink protesters disrupting Rove's speech carried posters that (i) suggested any kind of armed response, or (ii) contained images of bush or Cheney as the devil or in clown make-up.

[mrsb8]

Plenty of protestors during the Bush Administration did all of what you listed above. There were hateful signs from a small portion of them then just as there are from a small portion of the Tea Party protestors now.

[thebob-bob]

As so it goes, Karl. The Bush crime family, under your guidance, ruined the country. You will never know a moment peace, in public. Your polarization of the electorate has led to the mess we're in. You boy, George, and his cronies have admitted to war crimes. It's only a matter of time before they're grabbed and put on trial. Sleep well.