Looks like all that crack smoking has taken its toll as Scott McClellan is resigning:
Appearing with Bush on the South Lawn, McClellan, who has parried especially fiercely with reporters on Iraq and on intelligence issues, told Bush: “I have given it my all sir and I have given you my all sir, and I will continue to do so as we transition to a new press secretary.”
Bush said McClellan had “a challenging assignment.”
I bet. It must be tough sucking that much dick without getting your suit dirty.
In the same article we also find out that Karl Rove is giving up oversight of policy development:
Just over a year ago, Rove was promoted to deputy chief of staff in charge of most White House policy coordination. That new portfolio came on top of his title as senior adviser and role of chief policy aide to Bush.
But now, the job of deputy chief of staff for policy is being given to Joel Kaplan, the White House’s deputy budget director, said the official.
The move signals a possibly broad effort to rearrange and reinvigorate Bush’s staff by new chief of staff Joshua Bolten. Bolten moved into his position last week; Kaplan was his No. 2 person at the Office of Management and Budget.
At least for the time being, the promotion of Kaplan would leave Bush with three deputy chiefs of staff: Rove, Kaplan and Joe Hagin, who oversees administrative matters, intelligence and other national security issues.
Honestly, I’d be much happier if Rove were the one quitting and McClellan kept on with his lip service duties as out of the two of them McClellan was at least entertaining at times when he attempted to defend another idiotic Bush decision.
In a somewhat related news item Bush has stepped up to defend Rumsfeld. Probably because incompetence loves company:
“I listen to all voices, but mine is the final decision,” he said. “And Don Rumsfeld is doing a fine job. He’s not only transforming the military, he’s fighting a war on terror. He’s helping us fight a war on terror. I have strong confidence in Don Rumsfeld.
“I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I’m the decider, and I decide what is best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.”
What the fuck is this? Father Knows Best?
This is laughable mainly because it should be apparent to even the brain dead out there that Bush’s ability to judge how good a job someone in his administration is doing is, to put it as charitably as possible, “weak.” What was it he said in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? Oh yeah: “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job.”
Is is just me, or does that line sound like something out of Dr. Suess?