I've become a bit too jaded to be confident we're actually going to see anything of consequence happen to BushCo as a result of the Fitzgeral investigation. We've witnessed so many serious crimes being committed, and nothing ever coming of them. There is a big difference between today's scenario and that of Nixon's Watergate: today we have one-party rule, and that party desperately needs to hold on to power to continue its imperialist quest and fulfill the Halliburton contracts. I believe they'll go to any lengths to maintain their grip.
So allow me to play Karl Rove here for a second. What would I do to save this presidency in the public's eye and pave the way for a plausible theft of the 2006 elections? Bush needs a serious bounce in the polls, but how can that come about with such horrendous news coming down?
Listen to the punditocracy -- Bush needs to clean house, as Reagan did. When Iran-Contra threatened to ruin Reagan's legacy, he fired his team and brought in "fresh" blood.
Reagan, of course, left office a virtual GOD to the right, and even many lefties remember him as being a decent president, if just a little "off." (Don't count me among that group, for I feel Reagan was an abject failure, and responsible for setting in motion much of the destruction of our democracy we're experiencing today). But I digress...
So, putting on my Karl Rove hat...I tell Bush to fire me. Fire Scooter. Fire the big names involved, and go on the teevee and say "We are making great progress in Iraq, and I cannot have this cloud obscuring our successes. Therefore, I have appointed new people to head my staff..." Of course, he'd find a different way to Keep Rummy and Rove and crew happy, perhaps using some of the billions in missing Iraq funds to help them ease the pain of martyrdom. They would depart the admin, but only on paper, shifting their offices to an undisclosed location.
Enter Rasmussen and Gallup with some of their cleverly worded push-polling about whether George Bush showed strong leadership in firing his top aides. Whether or not George Bush took control. Whether or not the removal of the scourge of Rove et al will signal a new beginning. The poll results will indicate Bush's numbers spiking again. The Complicit Media will report on the bold Bush move, and the incredible turnaround by George W. Bush, who is normally so resolute, but here set his pride aside for the good of America. He'll be the new "comeback kid" according the Tweety and Russert and the media whores of their ilk. They'll pound it home relentlessly.
Of course, none of it will be true, but that is but a minor detail for the marketing people in the White House. The only goal is to make it appear to be true, so Mom & Pop Murkah will think things are better, and shucks, even if they themselves still hate Bush, according to the polling their neighbors across this great land seem to think he's doing much better. Some will be swayed and will re-think turning their backs on BushCo's GOP.
All this will bring us up to the 2006 midterms. At this point, it is important to remember that actually being up in the polls is not nearly as important as appearing to be up in the polls. Herd mentality, group-think, will cause a fair proportion of good 'Murkans to believe Bush is doing better (just maybe they're not seeing what ever'one else is seeing). That is all that is important.
As the elections draw near, we'll hear constantly of Bush's stunning turnaround, as he begins to bring a token number troops home for flag-waving photo ops and claim credit for a new Iraq democracy, conveniently far away in a land no reporter can cover without a military escort. As the mid-terms approach, Gallup and Rasmussen will report steadily increasing approvals for BushCo, and the pundits will begin to point out that the once moribund GOP is now within striking distance of Dem challengers across the nation.
The key races (which help define the roll of the GOP) will become "too close to call." Deibold and ES&S and Sequoia will make sure the MOE covers the spread, and come election day, BushCo will re-affirm its rubber-stamp majority in Congress thus assuring its ability to spread the PNAC Gospel of Middle Eastern dominance unimpeded.
And then comes 2008. And too many democrats will once again be saying "Well, gee, I guess we just didn't run a strong enough campaign."