Paul Kiel highlights a passage from today's New York Times:
[Gonzales'] appearance underscored what two Republicans close to the Bush administration described as a growing rift between the White House and the attorney general....They call it a 'rift'; I call it damage control. Plausible deniability is this administration's operating principle.
“I really think there’s a serious estrangement between the White House and Alberto now,” one of the Republicans said....
“They’re taking it seriously,” said the other of the two Republicans who spoke about the White House’s relationship with Mr. Gonzales. “I think Rove and Bolten believe there is the potential for erosion of the president’s credibility on this issue.”
Rift, my ass. Rove is up to his ears in this, and they're cutting Gonzales loose to save him.
|