Perhaps Someone Read My Blog - Nah Probably Not

On Wednesday of last week, I questioned whether Karl Rove had some special deal that prohibited anyone on FNC from asking him about the failure of his professed goal to create a durable Republican majority.  Much to my surprise, Knucklehead Smith, I mean intellectual lightweight Alan Colmes,  weakly sought to outmaneuver Karl Rove.  His initial question was a pitiful attempt at gotcha, asking Rove about his 'statement" about creating a 'permanent Republican majority.'  Rove prraied effectively, correcting (appropriately) Colmes on the quote, while deftly avoiding responding to the substance of the question and/or Rove's personal responsibility for the national Republican party's current state.  Colmes, remarkably ill-informed, verbally fumbled about for a moment or two and moved on to his second question.  When will Rove's policy guidance throughout the GWB administration be called into question.  One reason you don't read it is because Karl Rove was/is the best friend of the journalists, providing abundant amounts of inside info 'on background.'

Karl Rove's Special Deal with FNC

Let me state clearly, I'd love to dine with Karl Rove.  He is an enormously talented and knowledgeable professional.  That said, his bailiwick is campaigns not policy.  His masterful manufacture of the "W" from Midland from a lost brat to a Texas Governor to a two-term President is incomparable.  His knowledge of the microscopic aspects of the national electoral process is beyond compare (although some may now argue, a new gunslinger has appeared on the horizon, David Plouffe the under forty wunderkid that outflanked the manifestly destined Hilliary Clinton campaign), but I digress.

How is it that he's been omnipresent throughout the campaign season, yet I have never seen him asked about his claim of creating a durable Republican majority.  This question is particularly salient given the fact that the northeast is bereft of Republican representation, moreover the Old Dominion voted Democratic in the presidential election and is lead by a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators.  Add New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado (will Florida, Montana and Arizona follow?) to the mix and the sorry state of the national republican party is evident.  The fact that the question does not get asked cannot be a coincidence.

If Politicians are Going to Dye Their Hair - Why Don't They At Least Get It Done Well

I am deeply troubled by the trend of politicians, in particular presidential candidates, to comically dye their hair. Moreover, the Ronald McDonald character of these dye-job-in-a-box efforts is being extended to eyebrows. This disturbing trend is an obvious sign of the coming apocalypse. Tommy Thompson's appearance this morning on This Week with George Stephanoplus was the latest incidence of metrosexual efforts gone awry. During my youth, I recall chuckling at the feeble efforts of faded starlets to appear younger. The vainglorious efforts were quietly accepted as signs of senility.

No such acceptance should be afforded to egomaniacal men seeking the uber-prize, the presidency. I'm not troubled by the want to appear younger (or maybe just less old), but if you make the decision to dye your hair, see fit to place the job in the hands of a talented professional and not aisle 3 at Walmart. Tommy Thompson's hair color did not even remotely appear to otherwise exist in nature.

While I'm on this important topic, I should note another male hair trend I find troubling. The trend appears to be driven by the universal condemnation of the comb-over. Balding men have taken to either growing their remaining hair to ridiculous lengths or thickness. The most recognizable example of the later is Karl Rove. Despite having mere wisps of hair across his dome and rather cropped hair on the sides, the back of his head has a ridiculously abundant tuft of hair. I suspect the genesis of Hair Emergency is twofold. Firstly, as I mentioned above, the loss of the comb-over as an acceptable hair style choice has left the hair challenged befuddled and without good options. Secondly, I suspect that self-styling is the primary causation.

It is well documented that balding men bristle at the fact that their haircuts cost as much as haircuts for the folliclely unchallenged. While to the best of my knowledge, no genetic link between male pattern baldness and being cheap has yet been established, the anecdotal evidence is unassailable. The end result is that in bathrooms throughout the Beltway terrible, terrible thing are happening . The only chance we have of stopping this is to expose the problem in the same way the uni-brow and the comb-over were. Please help.

The President Draws a Line in the Sand

The president's brief press conference this evening was vintage Bush. While offering support for the embattled Attorney General, the real thrust of the press conference was to appeal the the public and seek to stem the bleeding by making the current crisis as a constitutional issue. The offer from the White House is to have Karl Rove and Harriet Miers (and likely others) testify before the judiciary committee in closed door, unsworn testimony. Prominent democrats have already dismissed this offer as unsatisfactory and will almost certainly issue subpoenas. The result is may be a protracted court fight, one that is unlikely to aid an administration already seriously handicapped push forward any political agenda. The only winners might be Republican political candidates who are better positioned to benefit from a pissing contest between Congress and the White House (remember everybody gets wet in a pissing contest).

What's odd is why the White House has waited until now to get off the defense and attempt to push back against the juggernaut. Irrespective, I still think Texas Al still has to go, the political Gods will demand sacrifice.

WH Looking for Replacement For Texas Al, but Wait Tell Me it's Not So!!!

As the Al Gonzales death watch continues, reports emanate of possible replacements being floated. Without evaluating each of the potential candidates, one is certainly worthy of further discussion, the Crypt-Keeper, Michael Chertoff, current Director of Homeland Security. What Bernie Kerik isn't available? His name certainly comes to mind as one with the resume and Bush administration bona fides to be nominated, but I easily discounted him as unacceptable as a result of his almost criminal ineptitude in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Ah, but I was too hasty. Too willing to overestimate Karl Rove's political ability, too willing to underestimate the President's child-like need to play only with playmates that have already shared play dates with the Brat-in-Chief. My lord, is this the height of folly.


That said, I'm going to guess that the trial balloon related to Chertoff has already floated out into the Chesapeake Bay and sunk. Why anyone within the White House would want to nominate this chucklehead for anything me. The Democrats in the Senate would have a fiesta with him. Pummelling him like a pinata until he burst.

AG On Fire

US AG Alberto Gonzales, appearing extremely uncomfortable, put forward a limited defense to the firestorm surrounding the dismissal of 8 US Attorney's. He began with a general statement that everything that happens within the Dept of Justice is his responsibility, but then went on to say he didn't know the actions taken by his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, despite the fact that the recently resigned Mr. Sampson had been charged with performance evaluations of the US Attorneys and ostensibly was vetting those evaluations through the White House. Mr. Gonzales repeatedly stated that 110,000 people work at DOJ and that as such he couldn't possibly know what each of those employees were up to. That comment might be true and acceptable in general, but it strains the bounds of credulity in the present case.

Gonzales focused narrowly on the issue of his recent Congressional testimony. He was forced to accept that his testimony was wrong, but that his misstatements of fact were the result ignorance of the actions of his Chief of Staff as well as Karl Rove and Harriet Miers. Mr. Gonzales demeanor was contrite if not terrified. My read at this point is that this may result in his resignation. His demeanor stands in stark contrast to his standard modus operandi - smug in the extreme, irrespective of the sensitivity of the underlying issue (i.e. warrantless surveillance, treatment of detainees etc.). That past behavior virtually ensures that Congressional Democrats are going to come at Gonzales with both guns blazing. The only thing Gonzales has going for him is the stubbornness of the President. The counterpoint is how much political capital is an already damaged White House willing to expend on Mr. Gonzales.

Mel Martinez to Head RNC - Was this Karl's Idea?

I'm not really ready to blame this uninspired pick on Karl Rove, but it does strike me a Rovian move. What's clear now (and was not when I began drafting this post) is the choice has many conservatives steaming.

First some background on Magic Mel (note, this is from my addled memory, I'll fact check to the extent practicable and offer corrections where appropriate). He served as a HUD secretary in GWB's admin prior to running for Senate. His senate campaign was far closer than predicted, primarily because Mel isn't particularly articulate, moreover, he lacks charisma and vision. His campaign , summarized, "elect me I'm the president 's guy".

Controversy surrounded his anointment as the party's senate candidate in Fla . Katherine Harris thought she was promised the chance to run as a quid pro quo for meritorious service during the 2000 Florida recount. With the benefit of hindsight the choice was easy, one need only look to the wacky campaign run by Katherine "What Do You Think of THESE" Harris in the recent Fla senate campaign. However, the decision was more about 2004 electoral politics than anything else. Magic, a Cuban-American, was run in 2004 to solidify the Hispanic vote in Florida.

His appointment to the RNC post appears to be an effort to extend a hand to Hispanic voters that departed the GOP in droves during the '06 midterms following the immigration debate. No one in their right mind would compare Magic to his predecessor, Ken Mehlman. Unless he is a masterful prestidigitator, he lacks the strategic skills Mehlman clearly possesses.

That said, the pick's appeal to the "Decider" is apparent. Bush knows him and views the pick through rose colored glasses. In fact, the choice is patronizing in the extreme. While it was ultimately Bush's choice, there is no doubt that Karl signed off on the pick.

Immediately following the election, Michael Steele's, the Republican candidate for Senate in MD, surfaced as a candidate for the position. Steele, an African-American, ran an wonderful campaign and came close to stealing (pardon the pun) a Senate seat in deep-blue MD. Steele appears to have a marvelous future in the party and placing Steele as head of the RNC, seems like a perfect fit on so many levels. I just don't get it - I suspect it's a case of Rove out-thinking himself.