When asked whether he was quitting the Bush administration because it would be good for his political future, Rob Portman, the outgoing budget director, replied: "It would be good for my mental health." Although Mr Portman was joking, a growing list of officials have already acted on that impulse.
At least 20 senior aides have left important posts in the White House, Pentagon or State Department over the past six months, as chaos has deepened in Iraq. "There’s a real sense of fatigue and very little sense of purpose," said a senior official, who asked not to be named. "My guess is you’re going to see a lot more departures."
Mr Portman, who had been Mr Bush’s budget director for little more than a year, could hardly have quit at a less convenient time for the administration.
This is isn’t just rats jumping from a sinking ship. It’s officials that know that there is a Bush appointed nitwit in every corner of the Administration and sooner or later they will be hauled in to answer questions.
My guess is that the mainstream press will hardly connect the dots here. Perhaps it may get some reporting but not as much as Anna Nicole’s lover. We are not just being governed by nitwits, we are being governed by agencies that literally have no leader and they will not find anyone who wants the cooties from this Administration.
Look at it this way. The bad news about being tried by a jury is that you are being tried by 12 people who couldn’t get out of jury duty. If there is some Bush crony appointed to a government administrative office, the bad news is that we are being governed by someone that Bush actually likes.
"What is the point of sticking around in an administration that isn’t going to accomplish anything significant?" said a former official. Meanwhile, the administration faces a growing cacophony of congressional hearings into its handling of the Iraq war, into its alleged politicisation of the Justice department and into its handling of military tribunals to try alleged terrorist detainees.
You see, a little pressure from even toothless Democrats and they can't stand the heat. They just all know it's like fighting for the window seat on the Hindenburg. This is Downfall- Bruno Ganz playing Hitler, demanding that the Army fight a war it could no longer win.
The investigations will turn the light on even more perfidy. This is closer to the beginning of this mess, unfortunately than it is to the end of it. But they know one thing. The end is near.
link here: http://www.ft.com/...