Karl Rove draws crowd with mixed opinions to book-signing event in La Jolla

Karl Rove, longtime Bush administration adviser and strategist, signed his new book Wednesday night at Warwick’s as protestors outside quietly let passersby and those waiting for signatures know their feelings.

Rove served as deputy chief of staff and campaign strategist for George Bush and now is a Fox News commentator. His book is called “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.”

As his security team kept things under control inside, a number of San Diego police officers stood along Girard Avenue at about 6 p.m., keeping an eye on both lines. Those there for signatures far outnumbered the protesters.

Rove spoke to the media inside, decrying “the lunatics” who claim he should be arrested for war crimes. Rove told reporters that if the “lunatics” wanted him arrested, they should make the same demand about Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, John Kerry and others who have backed the war in Iraq or now are in charge of the U.S. strategy.

Among the line of protesters were some from Code Pink, whose founder Jodie Evans’ attempt to make a citizen’s arrest on Rove resulted in the cancellation of an appearance Monday night in Beverly Hills. One woman said the group numbered about three dozen.

Rove said his presentations across the state had been very orderly and rewarding on Wednesday and were not marred as the Beverly Hills event was because security had been added.

Outside, there were few exchanges between those awaiting their turn to go inside the booksore and the protestors, some wearing masks and other carrying signs. One read “Don’t buy the book, Don’t buy the lies”; others simply said “Liar.

Warwick’s staff said the store had ordered several hundred copies of Rove’s book and by about 6:30 about a hundred had been sold. By comparison, when Ozzie Osborne was in town several weeks ago, they said they sold several thousand. The event was expected to continue for several hours as people in groups of 25 were allowed in. The line stretched to the corner and slightly around it.