Jake,
What USDA zone are you in? Is Surprise in a valley near, say Phoenix, or is it at a high elevation. I ask because this really matters. I have bare root roses that I set in the ground in the first week of March and they are just waiting for warm weather. But I also have some that have been in the ground for two weeks that are setting leaves. I'm in zone 7, but nights here get pretty chilly (25-40F). That means that many of the roses just keep waiting and waiting for warmer weather.
While they wait it is important to keep the ground from drying out. I typically water every other day or every third day until leaves are well set. By then, of course, it's usually warm enough that I should be watering every other day anyway...
(After checking Google Maps) It looks like you are in Zone 8 or 9. That suggests to me that you should have planted Mr Lincoln in mid February and kept him well watered (almost daily) until now. Also, you probably should have buried the bud union by an inch or so. Usually rose companies send instructions on how to plant bare root roses. And most of them recommend between 1 hour and 24 hours of soaking to rehydrate the roses before planting them. In any case, if you followed the instructions and kept the rose watered and it has not produced any leaves by now I'd guess it is dead. Also, if there are no leaves soon and the bark is brown I'd expect it is dead.
J&P once sold the healthiest roses you could buy, but their reputation with this crowd right now is lower than pond-scum (which at least would make good garden fertilizer). Other possible suppliers you may want to check out are Cool Roses, Roses Unlimited, Pickering, Antique Rose Emporium, and Palatine. I have even had some luck planting potted roses from Lowes or Home Depot.
