The Arbitrary ChuckJerry

Let's recap:

1) 2,000 American soldiers are dead in Iraq, 99% of whom died after Dubya's speech on the aircraft carrier talking about "Mission Accomplished".

2) Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination from the Supreme Court. The consensus is not that she wasn't conservative enough, but rather she was incompetent and incapable of the position. Incompetent not in the sense that she's stupid, but rather in the sense that she's maybe the least smart person in the honors class.

3) I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted on perjury charges. That's a hell of a name there, Scoots. Let's point out that he wasn't indicted on actually outing a covert CIA agent, but rather just trying to cover up whatever it was he did or didn't do. Martha Stewart style.

An interesting point here on these issues. All of the discussion on Meet The Press this morning was about how presidents get arrogant in their second terms and have invariably gotten into some sort of hole they've had to dig out of. Most recently there's been Watergate, Iran-Contra, and that woman....Ms. Lewinsky.

One of the gies, I think David Brooks, made another point on Bush's brush with ridiculousness. All of these other presidents go into trouble because of corruption of either a political or moral nature. The information we have from the special prosecutor so far is that no crime was committed regarding outing Valerie Plame Wilson, but rather only the cover up. So far then, there's no evidence of corruption, and all of the trouble that Bush is in is therefore because of his incompetence. He's out of step with America, out of step with his base, and out of step with perhaps just reality in general.

Also something that doesn't quite make sense is the media's infatuation with pursuing this story. Perhaps this has just become clearer in retrospect, but there's no way this investigation could have taken place without a thorough challenge to the rights between reporters and their sources. From day one it was clear that Bobby Novak and any other folks with that same information, Judith Miller and Tim Russert as it turns out, were going to be questioned about their sources. At some point we have to step from behind the first amendment, especially if we're involved in crimes. Perhaps future sources will be more reticent to give up the goods if it may lead to things like this. Now obviously this was an extenuating circumstance, but I'm sure Scooter didn't know that at the time.

Anyhow, Bush has almost exactly a year to get himself in good standing again before these midterm elections. Reagan did it, Clinton did it, and it seems that people are willing to forgive provided that those ho made mistakes are willing to admit them. At the same time, Bush is in the position of having to apologize for his incompetence, rather than his moral turpitude. Maybe for Rove's or Cheney's turpitude at some point, but it doesn't seem like it right now.