The Washington Post has an article online outlining several of the White House's biggest problems and the administration's allies' difficulties.
A string of scandals involving some of the most powerful Republicans in Washington have converged to disrupt President Bush's agenda, distract aides and allies, and exacerbate political problems for an already weakened administration, according to party strategists and White House advisers.
It goes on to say that there isn't a common thread among the scandals-
on the flip...
Most of the scandals have little direct connection with one another, but their accumulation in a compressed period has challenged a White House already beset by political problems stemming from the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina and high gasoline prices, according to Republican advisers close to the Bush team, several of whom said they could speak candidly only if they were not identified by name.
and they all just happened in the last few months. But one prevailing pulse beats through all of these scandals- greed for power. White House controlling information and smearing any naysayer, Delay's gerrymandering tactics to put up a permanent Republican majority, Abramoff's pedaling influence for money, and on and on. Also, most of these schemes have been perpetuated for years and several have been investigated for many months and years.
The article does make one good point-
(Abramoff came from) the generation of operatives and lobbyists who came of age when Republicans took control of Congress 11 years ago.
I think when the turn in Congress happened in 1994, the Republicans weren't interested in cleaning up what the Democrats had made a mess of, I think they thought they could use the cover of good morals and ethics and do what the Nixon & Co. had started by trying to perpetuate indefinitely the Republicans power while stealing as much money and power as they could.
It was a vow that was welcomed in a capital weary of scandal, and the Bush White House made it through the first term without losing many scalps . With the lapse of the independent counsel statute and congressional oversight committees in the hands of the president's party, the instruments of political investigations were more limited.
One thing they thought was that they wouldn't make the same mistakes Nixon made and they had 20 years to refine what he had managed to be good at. What's happening now is that they are becoming slovenly in their work- it got to easy to keep stealing. The kept going for more and more, then finally they got the White House. Add that to the majority in Congress and all they needed was the Supreme Court, which was ripe for new justices. But the further out on the branch you get trying to reach for the big, juicy plum, the easier it is to fall off.
But scandal historically has ripened in second terms, including Watergate for Richard M. Nixon, the Iran-contra affair for Ronald Reagan, and the Whitewater and Monica S. Lewinsky investigation for Bill Clinton. "It always comes back," said Larry J. Sabato, a University of Virginia scholar who has written on Washington scandals. "There may be a couple of dry years occasionally, but it is a style of American politics, always has been, always will be. And now it's back with a vengeance."
But I think this is more than cyclical, this is a unique new animal. They started with the intention of being corrupt versus becoming evil over time from exposure to power.
This is the beginning of the end for the Bush clan. There is more than we know. They built their house of corruption on the sand of lies and now the rain of truth won't stop coming down.
Several Republicans close to Bush said they believe the CIA leak investigation has taken a particular toll, reducing Rove's role in key decisions and prompting Bush to rely on other, less sure-footed advisers. One well-connected outside adviser cited the Miers pick as an example. He said even if Rove considered the selection a risk or mistake, he knew he was in no position to press Bush on it.
Even if Bush makes it out of this term, the House will have switched to the Dems in `06, Rove will have been indicted or fired and those who shy away from the fear of their power of retribution (Ari, Powell, O'Neil, McCain, who knows) will speak out and cash in on the "I know the dirtiest secret" sweepstakes, ala Liddy, Dean, Buchanan, et. al, and make a second career out of having the stink of Bush on them (only in America). It hopefully will shake out the seedlings these guys planted, just as they grew from Watergate, and give us new promise future when the biggest worries we have is if we have lipstick on our collars (I don't know what women have to hide while having an affair, men's cologne?).
Link
Cross posted at my blog "Don't say I didn't tell you"