Much Ado About Everything!

What a week it's been. So many things I've let pass without comment not because I wasn't energized by the events of the week but because I've been pressed for time. Tonight I make up for that, however!

Last Friday 5 indictments were handed down by Patrick Fitzsgerald, all pointing at Scooter Libby, the VP's COS. That had to send chills down the spine of every White House staffer. Rove, I'm sure, breathed a sign of relief but that didn't seem to last long as Fitzsgerald declared his intent to continue the hearings until he was satisfied he had gathered all available information or until he knew exactly what had transpired in the outting of Valerie Plame. Fitzsgerald made an eloquent statement about the need of our covert agents to feel secure and know that their own representatives would not betray them.

The talk of the weekend on the news, in the papers, in blogs, and around the watering hole centered on three names: Libby, Rove and Cheney. Not exactly where the president wanted the conversation centered.

Strike One

So Monday morning Bush took the media bull by the horns and announced a new SCOTUS nomination. It worked beautifully! Suddenly now we were centering our attention on Alito and Miers and not on the White House leak.

That, however, lasted only two short days.

Harry Reid was more brilliant than I believe he intended to be. Not only did his motion to close senate chambers pivot the conversation back to the White House leak but it also brought to the front of news coverage the fact that the republicans in congress were dragging their heels on their own investigation of the reasons for the war in Iraq.

The only ace in the hole the White House had left was a quick scheduling of hearings to confirm Alito. That hope faded when the date for confirmation was set to January.

Strike Two

Then came the conference of the Americas. Bush needed to look like a strong competent leader of the US. He needed the media to focus on his ranking among the national delegation and show him as respected and responsible. Instead the media's attention was focused on a number of loud and rowdy protests that took place in the streets of Argentina.

Strike Three.

Thankfully for Bush the week is over.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a further decline in his approval ratings, something he truly does not want to experience.

Perhaps the key to changing the direction of public sentiment lay where he is really reluctant to go: Dismissing Karl Rove.

Despite the fact that no indictments were handed down for Rove, it is apparent that he somehow was involved with the leak to the press in the Plame case. The public longer trusts Karl. They believe he was involved with the outting of Wilson's wife as well as now feel that he is largely responsible for the dirty campaign tricks that came out in both the primaries and the general elections in 2000 and 2004.
According to the polls, which granted aren't always accurate but which I believe to be a reflection of American sentiment, people want him gone - for the good of GW Bush and the country.

Maybe it's time the president bites the bullet and cleans house in the White House.