The president's inability to work with anyone he hasn't deeply trusted for years, in fact anyone who hasn't been in his eye-line several times a week for years, continues. Rice, Gonzalez, Spellings, Bolten - there's no reason why the people who were the 2nd, 4th, 9th, 86th best person for the job in 2001 (well, that's as high as he was willing to name these types when they first took office) can't be trusted with more powerful positions now. They've shown they are willing to stick with the team. And as we all know, in this White House being loyal to Bush is much more important than competence or bringing in new ideas.
Posted by armand at March 28, 2006 09:20 AM | TrackBack | Posted to PoliticsI agree, that this represents no real change. Rove and Cheney will still call the shots, Bolten has proven himself to be a "team player" willing to take orders.
But the question I keep coming back to, is why today? Get Iraq off the headlines? The NSA hearings?
And, Card was near tears, was he pushed?
Mike
Posted by: mikevotes at March 28, 2006 10:55 AM | PERMALINKOh, he was at least partially pushed (if by his own sense that he needs to "help" his President by resigning, if nothing else). Why today? I don't think this moves anything off the headlines; maybe immigration?
And Bolten isn't any sort of real improvement. Maybe there is nothing machiavellian about this: Card decided a change was good, and Bush agreed. Tuesday was just a day to do it; no other reason.
Posted by: baltar at March 28, 2006 11:46 AM | PERMALINKOf course it's possible that there's no hidden politics to this - maybe he's honestly sad to go and appreciated his service being honored at this time. He had held the job an oddly long time after all.
If there's anything more to this, particularly relating to the timing, I presume it's meant as a signal to Republicans that GW hears the base's complaints and is willing to bring in new blood to invigorate the White House, but with people who are still believers. In GW's worldview he might honestly see Bolten as new blood.
Posted by: Armand at March 28, 2006 12:51 PM | PERMALINK