The Frozen Tundra of the West Wing
I've been following the whole Karl Rove/Leaking National Security Secrets for Freedom Scandal in a way I usually reserve for off-season trade rumors. Instead of looking at ESPN.com for updates on draft picks and player swaps, I keep hitting Dailykos.com to see the latest piece of dirt dug up on that fat pig--all in preparation, hopefully, for opening day, otherwise known as the federal court proceedings. I feel this is the way most politically aware Americans, regardless of their ideological bent, look at issues nowadays: a constant checking of power ratings, who's up, who's down, who's in, who's out. Pretty soon, candidates won't have strategists; they'll have offensive and defensive coordinators, special teams coaches, and the like. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. If you could get most Americans as angry about politics as they are about draft picks and trades, we'd have much more involvement in the political process. Even the angriest Dittohead does not call up Rush with the same fervor he'd use to address Mike and the Mad Dog.
I won't waste any of your time (or mine) expressing my opinion on the matter of Rove. I'm sure you could guess it anyway, and the web is awash in virtual ink on the subject. But it is satisfying to see the Bush administration, usually so poised, usually so smugly sure of its stranglehold on the national dialogue, reel around like a punch drunk boxer. It is very pleasing to see professional liar Scott McClellan get bitch slapped by the suddenly powerful WH press corps. And it is heartwarming to see the president make the huge mistake of having Rove in the background of every single recent press conference and photo op, further bolstering the public belief that what Rove does, Bush approves.
These things are satisfying because these are not the kinds of mistakes that the Bush team used to make. As in sports, there is always a moment when a great dynasty makes a fatal error, when a once infallible player begins to age and falter. The reason so many lefties are giddy right now is because it is painfully obvious that, if nothing else comes of this, Bush may very well have crippled his lame duck agenda. He has to either (a) dump Rove and lose his best political thug, or (b) hang on to him out of loyalty and further risk destroying the remainder of his term. Either way, you can smell the faintest whiff of a change of guard in the air.