The bombing of the Askariya shrine is being covered with surprising alarm. It seems to have spooked the conservative press. William Buckley says One can’t doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed and suggests the President cut his losses. Cable news pundits are gloomy. And the ports issue isn’t helping. John Podheretz says The deal is dead. It won’t survive after a 45-day extension or a 450-day extension and predicts a political catastrophe. David Gergen and Ed Collins are talking to Wolf about the ‘death’ of this administration and warning that it could be ‘all over’ for them.
Bush and Cheney are like a submarine that keeps going to lower depths. Eventually, the gaskets start to blow sending high velocity pieces of metal pinging off the walls. Scooter Libby and Michael Brown were the first to get capped, but there are more to come.
My prediction? Chertoff is on the chopping block, and Rumsfeld could be next.