ROVE RIGHTS STORY ON MALL FLOOD

Call Sinks Reporter

Indianapolis, WPI - Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bush yesterday call Kenny Gettite, reporter for the Indianapolis Star, to correct details of a story Gettite wrote on a flash flood in a the nearby Lafayette Square Mall.

Rove called the reporter after learning that the story contained inaccuracies. Gettite wrote, “About 20 cars were stuck in 5 feet of water at 9 p.m. in a low-lying parking area near the Sears store, and nearly half of them had to be towed.”

Rove, citing unnamed sources, claimed that there were fewer then 15 cars and the water only rose three and a half feet.

Local Republicans praised Rove's quick action. “For too long this community has been held hostage by the shoddy reporting of certain left-wing media,” said Indianapolis County GOP Chairman Hess Phoresalle. “Mr. Rove has done this community a tremendous favor. He is a whistle-blower and ought to be given a medal.”

Me Gettite responded by saying, “I stand by my story. I was at the Lafayette Square Mall, I counted the cars. The rest of the information came from the cops.” He refused to comment further citing an obligation to protect his sources.

Mr Rove’s lawyer, Robert Luskin said, “There is nothing untoward or suspicious about the phone call. It came to Mr. Rove’s attention that there were serious factual errors in the report and he saw it as his civic duty to reach out and try to correct them.” Luskin added, “Karl told me that if he’d gotten the facts earlier he would have made sure the story was written properly in the first place.”

Critics have pointed out that Mr. Rove has never personally been to the Lafayette Square Mall and was in Washington at the time of the flood. Les Powers, Chairman of the local Democratic Committee said, “This is nonsense! Rove is simply trying to smear the reputation of a very fine reporter that has been targeted because he sometimes writes stories critical of Republicans.”

State GOP Chair Seymour Grafft called Mr. Rove’s actions courageous. “Karl has a distinguished record of helping to steer the sound and accurate reporting of news. He has done this community an invaluable service and should be commended.”

The publisher of the Indianapolis Star, Mrs. Ima Cupperiche, said through a spokesperson, “The paper stands by Mr Gettite and his story. We must however give due regard to the importance and influence of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States of America. Mr Gettite will be reassigned.”