Cover-up Gets You in the End

“Show trials. Fishing expeditions. Executive privilege. Political witch hunt.” Oh boy, we have heard it all before.

Let’s cut through all this rhetorical presidential anger and get to the heart of the matter. Bush and his palace guard (“loyal Bushies”) have done it again. They put their damage-control machine into high gear and decided that they can cover it all up, sweep it under the rug, and no one will notice.

It worked for six years on everything from the Libby/Plame fiasco to funding the war in Iraq through supplementals because there was no congressional oversight. It won’t work any more.

Now we have a serious confrontation brewing on subpoenas of White House and Justice Department officials and documents. This administration is more than vulnerable.

Their explanations don’t hold water. First, they questioned the “performance” of the U.S. attorneys, thus inflaming those who got fired. Then, they used the Patriot Act to bypass Senate confirmation of their replacements. And, of course, they finally have no choice but to admit that they were so furious at their prosecutors for not going in the tank on political investigations to benefit Republicans, that they fired them.

Over the Top

The Senate said “no more,” by a vote of 94-2, to perverting the Patriot Act by appointing prosecutors without their advice and consent.

The House and Senate are not prepared to have tea with Harriet and Karl, with no transcript of the “conversation.” Where is the accountability here, anyway?

That is the great fear of this administration: accountability — paying the price for your actions. One bit of advice: Cut your loses, admit your mistakes, move on to doing your job. Think Arnold, the Governator. Look at his approval numbers.

But Bush will never do that; he will fight to the political death over a boneheaded move by his political henchmen to take out prosecutors for not going to bended knee to engage in political prosecutions.

Never apologize, never explain. Sign of weakness. He can’t do it on Iraq, on Katrina, on this.

He could have solved the problem by not listening to his ego, his hubris, his bullheadedness. Yup, and he was behind Rummy too, behind him all the way, until he wasn’t. When will they ever learn that the cover-up gets you in the end? Bush is toast.