A Palpable Silence at the White House

[rodeodance]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102002321.html?referrer=email

A Palpable Silence at the White House
Few Ready to Face Effects of Leak Case

By Jim VandeHei and Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, October 21, 2005; A01

At 7:30 each morning, President Bush's senior staff gathers to discuss the important issues of the day -- Middle East peace, the Harriet Miers nomination, the latest hurricane bearing down on the coast. Everything, that is, except the issue on everyone's mind.

With special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald driving his CIA leak investigation toward an apparent conclusion, the White House now confronts the looming prospect that no one in the building is eager to address: a Bush presidency without Karl Rove. In a capital consumed by scandal speculation, most White House senior officials are no more privy than outsiders to the prosecutor's intentions. But the surreal silence in the Roosevelt Room each morning belies the nervous discussions racing elsewhere around the West Wing.

Out of the hushed hallway encounters and one-on-one conversations, several scenarios have begun to emerge if Rove or vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis Libby is indicted and forced out. Senior GOP officials are developing a public relations strategy to defend those accused of crimes and, more importantly, shield Bush from further damage, according to Republicans familiar with the plans. And to help steady a shaken White House, they say, the president might bring in trusted advisers such as budget director Joshua B. Bolten, lobbyist Ed Gillespie or party chairman Ken Mehlman.

These tentative discussions come at a time when White House senior officials are exploring staff changes to address broader structural problems that have bedeviled Bush's second term, according to Republicans who said they could speak candidly about internal deliberations only if they are not named. But it remains unclear whether Bush agrees that changes are needed and the uncertainty has unsettled his team.........

[Metta]

1. The calm before the storm?

Nothing's on the table before it's on the table, you know. I'm surprised to hear they're even discussing any changes as adamant as they are about failures, perceptions and control.

[rodeodance]

2. Jr rejects the idea that something is wrong with his presidency. Surprize!

Many allies blame the insularity of his team for recent missteps, such as the Miers nomination. Even some sympathetic to her believe the vetting process broke down because as White House counsel she was so well known to the president that skeptical questions were not asked.

....Some GOP officials outside the White House say they believe the president rejects the idea that there is anything fundamentally wrong with his presidency; others express concern that Bush has strayed so far from where he intended to be that it may require drastic action.

At the heart of all those discussions is Rove. With the deceptive title of deputy chief of staff, Rove runs much of the White House, including its guiding political strategy and many of its central policy initiatives. "Karl is the central nervous system right now, and that's obviously a big thing -- not only politically, but now he's in that big policy job," a former White House official said.

At the White House and among its close allies, discussion about Rove's fate is verboten -- in part out of fear and in part out of ignorance about what his legal vulnerability actually is. No one in the White House wants to talk about an indictment. As another former official said, "No one wants to believe anything's going to happen." Nor do people easily discuss other staff changes. "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot," said a third Republican with close ties to the White House.

[rodeodance]

4. "discussion about Rove's fate is verboten -" te he.

......At the White House and among its close allies, discussion about Rove's fate is verboten -- in part out of fear and in part out of ignorance about what his legal vulnerability actually is. No one in the White House wants to talk about an indictment. As another former official said, "No one wants to believe anything's going to happen." Nor do people easily discuss other staff changes. "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot," said a third Republican with close ties to the White House.

[janx]

6. "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot"

SHOT?

:think:

[mikeytherat]

15. Wanting to LITERALLY "shoot the messenger"?

It must be realllllllllllllllllllllllllllly bad...


mikey_the_rat

[CoffeeCat]

21. Translation...these thugs, drunk on their own power, are in deep denial...

Doesn't surprise me that this comments would be made, "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot."

They're in denial. They're defensive--like caged animals who are in shock because they're in a cage.

These third-rate thugs were so drunk on their own power---soooo busy spending that political capital and trying to steamroll their unpopular, sick agenda through (remember Social Security?)--that they never anticipated accountability.

They formed a group that was designed to market the Iraqi war--like an advertising group crafts messaging for cereal or a new brand of car. They SOLD us a public-relations plan that was based on lies. And they savored every moment. They paid journalists to leverage their ideas. They kept Junior in a bubble and away from public criticism--as they played to staged audiences. They thought they were untouchable.

They're sociopaths and they're in denial about their own fates.

So typical of Republicans--especially conservatives. They don't know how to govern. The Dems were in power for so long, then the conservatives got control of the House and Senate. That imploded after their "Contract With America" tanked, and Gingrich was sent home. Now, after a few years of "governing" they're imploding again. This time--on a much grander, more visible scale.

America will send them all packing.

[Dulcinea]

19. They're afraid of retribution.

In the event Rove walks away from this, anyone who speaks against him will be hung out to dry by the administration.

He's just as vituperative & vindictive as Boy George.

[belle]

9. "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot,"

now there's a healthy attitude!

[kath]

10. yeah, what a surprise that a malignant narcissist/sociopath would act that

way.
NOT.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

14. And what a storm!

[janx]

3. The PR strategy:

We're cleaning out the CIA!

We're cleaning out the State Dept.!

;-) The talking points have already been distributed.

[Marr]

5. Bubble Boy doesn't necessarily think any changes are needed.

LOL- well they're comin' anyway, little man.

[UpInArms]

7. related: White House in damage control mode

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/10/21/MNG5FFC0G11.DTL

excerpt:

"People are very demoralized and unhappy," said a former administration official. "The leak investigation is (part of it), but things were not happy before this took pre-eminence."

Bush implicitly acknowledged the distractions in answer to a reporter's question during a Rose Garden appearance with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, while reassuring the public that he remains focused on the pressing matters of state facing his White House.

<snip>

At the White House and among its close allies, discussion about Rove's fate is forbidden -- in part out of fear and in part out of ignorance about what his legal vulnerability actually is.

"No one in the White House wants to talk about an indictment," said another former official. "No one wants to believe anything's going to happen."

...more...

[DrZeeLit]

8. Discussing Middle East peace? Hellloooooo... it's a WAR. AND

You started it.

I know, I know. But it just p@#%@#@es me off that they don't get it.
They are not making the Middle East PEACEFUL.

And I hope they choke on the rest of it, themselves included.

[truthisfreedom]

11. the uncertainty has unsettled his team...unlike the certainty that settled

his team when they bought the vote.

[lovuian]

12. It shows how delusional these people are!!!

They don't want to accept the TRUTH!!! That they are crooks simply bank robbers!!! Stealing money from the American people!!! And they got caught!!! and now they ventured into being Traitors!!!

[Child_Of_Isis]

13. a public relations strategy to defend those accused

It won't work. Not this time. Not anymore. They are all washed up.

[katty]

16. suppressed anger/hysteriaWH before the storm breaks wide open

they are NOT calm, they are blocked up, anal retentive control freaks that NOW have NO CONTROL over their fate in the WH.

[Blaq Dem]

17. Republican Stategy

(1) Spin spin spin. Tear down democrats. Blame Clinton.
(2) Fear Fear Fear. Pose a fake terror alert. Tell Christians if they don't support the GOP then God will send them to hell.
(3) Digress Digress Digress. Bring back another OJ trial. Air those Britney Spears sex tapes.

[gatlingforme]

18. You are right! It's time for a Terror Alert to be had.

With all the crap coming down, a terror alert is what will happen in the near future . I would take a guess and say on the day of indictments.

[54anickel]

20. Nah, that's getting old and doesn't promote the feeling of Shrub keeping

us safe. They're gonna try to trot out a dead OBL instead.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1866223

[wordpix]

22. Bush is so blind he can't see that changes are needed

"But it remains unclear whether Bush agrees that changes are needed..."

lol, the main change needed is a regime change including getting rid of Commander in Chimp

[cosmicone]

23. Is Fitzgerald a republican or a democrat? n/t

[rodeodance]

24. " broader structural problems" yes, lots of them.