Michael Scherer: "As Karl goes ...

[understandinglife]

If Rove goes down, will the White House completely fall apart?

By Michael Scherer

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In the end, the lasting damage to President Bush and his legacy could come from another source altogether -- a revelation of the lengths to which the White House went to sell, and defend, false pretenses for the Iraq war.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that "lawyers familiar with the situation" believed that Fitzgerald's investigation now includes scrutiny of the White House Iraq Group, an inner council of presidential advisors who first gathered in August 2002 to craft a strategy to sell the war in Iraq. The Journal report suggests that Fitzgerald has broadened the scope of the investigation to possibly include a conspiracy to punish Wilson and his wife that predates by months the articles in which journalists mentioned Plame's identity.

This report is bolstered by claims made last year by Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, the husband of Valerie Plame. Wilson was hired by the CIA to travel to Africa to investigate claims that Iraq sought to procure uranium from Niger, allegations he found highly doubtful. He later went public with his concerns that the White House had misled the nation about the validity of these charges, prompting White House officials to discuss his wife's role at the CIA and causing the current criminal investigation.

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As for Wilson, he told Salon on Wednesday that he is withholding any speculation about what will happen over the coming weeks. "My view on this is that it's interesting speculation but the person who knows what he is going to do isn't speaking yet," said Wilson. "I am going to wait to see what Mr. Fitzgerald has to say."

More at the link:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/10/13/rove

Mr Scherer discusses Karl in the story, but the segment that I selected is, imho, truly the heart of the matter.

Karl's gonna go and, in the history of this saga, that will be a minor detail.

The intentional destruction of major intelligence infrastructure to cover-up the deception of the American people, the Congress and the world, is where the big story begins.


Peace.

[SteppingRazor]

1. If only this was pre-2004...

I would agree that the jailing of Rove would mean the death of the Bush White House.
It would be like the death of Lee Atwater in the midst of the 1992 presidential campaign. Poppy Bush's campaign never recovered from Atwater's brain imploding beneath the weight of its own crap.
The same would hold true here. But if Rove goes down now, these incompetent dolts will manage to ride it out until '08, when some poor sap of a Republican candidate will be flogged, tarred, feathered, crucified and cast into the Potomac. Of course, by that time, Bush will already be back at his ranch, clearing branches or something.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. The WH will have executive power but no legislative persuasion.

Can you say lame duck? I know you could!

[SteppingRazor]

3. Hell, we're already seeing that...

Social Security reform wasn't exactly greeted in Congress the way American girls greeted the Beatles in '64, yeah?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. Karl Rove = Lee Atwater's new incarnation?

I just read the story of Lee Atwater. Sure sounds like a Rove. This is a good article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/bckgrnd/atwater.htm

[napi21]

6. Rove was taught by Atwater!

I'm still trying to figure out who Rove's protege is!

[Poiuyt]

7. I tend to agree

Bush won't have much "political capital" left after all this is over, but as long as he still has a conservative Congress, he'll still be able to a lot of damage.

What I am wondering about, and I think is more important, is how this will affect the 2006 elections. The latest polls say that Americans want Democrats in Congress, but that doesn't necessarily translate to people voting Democrat in the election. Everyone thinks that their Congressman is good, all the others are bad. I think the 2006 election is extremely important in changing the course of the country

[louis-t]

5. Talking heads still claim Plaime 'hired' her husband

to go to Niger. She had no authority to do that. It was Cheney's office. They also claim Wilson had "no prior experience in nuclear technology."