Am I the first to note this curious similarity in linguistic efforts to minimize a looming political catastrophe for a sitting President?
George W. Bush is accountable for literally thousands of legal and constitutional infractions, which still pale by comparison to the hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths, the displacement of a million more humans, and crimes against humanity also on his hands.
After all the heinous, disgusting, stupid, immoral hackery and butchery and outright disaster on his watch, will he actually be brought to his political knees by this contretemps? I offered that sentiment in a comment and it prompted a very astute reply that the work of 20-30 years of neoconservativism is wrapped up in this administration and it will not easily allow itself to be defeated. There will be lots of bodies thrown to the wolves before then, said the commenter.
To a point, I agree. Donald Rumsfeld was thrown under the bus. Alberto Gonzales certainly seems to moving toward the curb. Karl Rove may finally meet his Waterloo, maybe even Dick Cheney. But even the voluntary jettison of political hacks as ballast is only a delaying and diversionary tactic. More important, it won’t work because the administration has a huge clock problem.
I've made this sports analogy before, in connection with the GOP debacle of 2006. I kept telling everyone that the most important, unchangeable factor was the Congressional calendar. As scandal emerged upon scandal, there was no time left for Republicans in the House and Senate to recover; their fate was removed from their hands and they stood by literally helpless. It could, and should, have been an even more savage whipping.
The Bush White House now, like Congress then, resembles a team trailing near the end of the game. Every missed opportunity is magnified in importance, there is no margin for error and at some point only a miracle can turn the tide. Bush shouldn't hold his breath waiting for any miracles, though. Nothing short of limitless cold fusion power discovered by NASA and announced on his watch can save this presidency from the disrepute it has earned and richly deserves. The only grace he has left is with the dead-enders.
This might not take them out of office, but it might be the beginning of an unraveling that will allow those of us who know and love American Constitutional Government to box them in where they can do the least harm possible.
And I wouldn't worry about those 30 years of neocon work. It's trashed, they know it and they're already on the retreat--just look at how Giuliani is stretching ahead of the GOP hopefuls that better fit that reactionary mold; it's over for neoconia, thanks to this Ship of Fools in the White House.
This is all about Bush saving his own skin and having no room left to run--in other words, "last throes" are on the way.