The problem with the mainstream media is that they generally report stories narrowly, often leaving out how the pieces come together to paint a bigger picture. (Yes, I know, that's not the mainstream media's only problem.) While zipping through various stories and blogs today, I formed a big picture of my own, and we'll see if it makes sense.
First, as you probably have heard, Bush is standing firm on Iraq. No one's leaving as long as he's president. (He could have said "over my dead body," but of course that would have been in bad taste, not to mention inaccurate.)
Now, stick with me on this part... The CIA thing has sort of died down recently, right? But the L.A. Times has helpfully brought it back up today, with an excellent summation of the whole sordid mess and how Karl Rove and Scooter Libby attack all who dare defy the administration.
And that brings us to Cindy Sheehan, who has shown up in Crawford kicking up some dust, reminding everyone that a lot of people are dying and that Iraq is starting to look like another Vietnam.
So the right-wing blogs try to defame Sheehan, and a few Republican operatives try to get on TV and say she's exploiting her dead son for... I'm not sure what.
Enter Karl Rove. Or not.
The noise machine that generally drowns out critics of the administration is not nearly as loud on Sheehan. Some might think it's only because she is a dead soldier's mom, so it's best to tread lightly. But I offer the supposition that Karl Rove's power to shape an issue has been crippled by his out-in-the-open campaign to out a CIA officer -- and he is either being kept on a short leash by the administration, or reporters have stopped going to him as a source, as it's become clear that this is a potential path to jail time.
So now Bush has to do the dirty work personally. He might not meet with Sheehan, but he has to address this stuff. He does so by making a speech in which he pulls up a mom who has 90% of her family in Iraq, I guess to show us the anti-Sheehan who proudly sends her men off to war. Problem is, the Mom-vs-Mom show is so obvious that our commander-in-chief just looks pathetic (and as exploitative as his minions seem to think Cindy Sheehan is).
The s*** has hit the fan, and no one is equipped to clean it up.
Does that sound about right?