By Bob Beckel
Democratic Strategist/FOX News Political Contributor

Karl Rove, my fellow contributor at FOX News, took a particularly nasty shot at Barack Obama in his Wall Street Journal column on Thursday, June 26. Karl’s central point of attack boils down to this: Barack Obama is an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical politician whose entire campaign is for and about Barack Obama. Rove cites the use of a presidential looking seal displayed at a few of Obama’s speeches (quickly abandoned — fortunately) as a sign of Obama’s arrogance.

Rove returns to Obama’s arrogance again and again in the piece, suggesting, I assume, that this is a disqualifying personality flaw for someone who wants to be president. For Karl Rove, who was the “architect” of George W. Bush’s election and governing strategy, calling another politician arrogant is like suggesting Al Capone was a model citizen.

No president in modern times, or for that matter maybe since George Washington, has been more arrogant than the current occupant of the White House. Obama may have erred with his faux presidential seal but the end result was embarrassing but harmless. The arrogance of George Bush has, on the other hand, cost precious lives, treasure, public confidence and American good will around the globe.

From his delayed fly-over of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to his refusal to listen to the likes of Colin Powell on the dangers of going to war in Iraq, Bush’s arrogance has been catastrophic to our nation. Bush’s narcissism and self centered personality flaws is borderline psychotic. The damage to those who suffered from Bush’s impairment is incalculable.

It’s not just the dead and wounded from his “I’ll prove Daddy was wrong” war in Iraq, but also the resulting financial burden his refusal to pay for this folly will have on every child in America. His arrogant disregard for massive deficits resulting from tax cuts for his rich friends (remember when Bush jokingly referred to his rich friends as ‘my base’…it was no joke) has added more red ink to the nation’s accounts then all Democratic presidents in history combined!

Arrogance may be justified in successful presidents with concrete results to justify certain haughtiness, but with an incompetent chief executive like George Bush such unjustified egotism can adversely affect millions.

Successful presidents, even arrogant ones, as a rule surround themselves with highly competent people, especially in the decision to go to war. George H.W.Bush (daddy) in his war with Iraq had the advice of people who knew what they were doing like Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft. Baby Bush surrounded himself with sycophants like the woefully inexperienced Condi Rice and Don Rumsfeld, who is a candidate for assisted living, but certainly not Defense Secretary.

Talk all you want Karl about Obama’s arrogance (the ‘good’ kind of arrogance I believe that is essential for successful presidents), but you should look at the pathetic arrogance of the boy you help construct first. If you do, the old saying about “people in glass houses” may make much more sense to you.