TOP STORY

Departures

By Thomas Jeffrey

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Article Posted: Sunday September 9, 2007

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A fortnight of departures in the nation’s capital has shaken the halls of power in Washington, D.C. and may do more to reshape the nation’s political landscape than anything else in the last 50 years.

A little over two weeks ago, White House resident Svengali Karl Rove got the ball rolling by announcing that he would be taking an early exit and heading home to Texas, leaving his boss holding the bag in the West Wing. Then, in an announcement whose timing still has many inside the beltway scratching their heads, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales threw in the towel after months of thumbing his nose at his critics.

But the departure that really seemed to accentuate the fact that the Bush Administration is really in it’s finally throes, official mouth piece Tony Snow announced that he was resigning last week, stating that the pressures that his job placed on his family’s financial situation were more difficult that his resurgent cancer, the new Democratic majority, and Helen Thomas, combined.

But this mass exodus of administration lackeys was soon joined by a few career Republican lawmakers from up on the hill, beginning with the toe-tapping senator from Idaho, Mr. Larry Craig. Next came the announcement from John Warner would retire, bring to an end 5 terms in the Senate and perhaps further weakening support for the Iraq War in Congress.

Then yesterday came the announcement that two-term Senator Chuck Hagel, who has been linked to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a possible independent dream-team ’08 presidential ticket, made it official that he will not seek a third term as Nebraska’s senior senator.

So what does this all mean for the Dems? A first blush, a chance to gain even more seats in the Senate deadlocked along party lines. And with the White House hobbling along without it’s spiritual leader and chief obfuscator, there may be a chance to further isolate the Hawks in the Administration and provide for a means with which the more pragmatic members of the West Wing to join forces with an increasingly more conciliatory Democratic leadership and put an end to the quagmire that is the Iraq war.

- posted by: Thomas Jeffrey and Sep 9, 02:24 PM in Politics

 

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