Back, finally! The reason for my absence for the last 10 days is, well, because I was initially being lazy. But, then, the server the site is on was moved to a new machine, and some things got mucked up in the process. But, it’s all fixed now, at least as well as it can be.

Gods, there is a lot to talk about since I’ve been away. However, there is nothing more important on my mind at the moment than The Architect himself, Karl Rove. I know I’m late on this by a couple days, but server issues will do that to you.

Do I think he was forced out ala Rumsfeld and definitely Powell? No, I don’t. Do I believe the crap about wanting to spend time with his family? I’m not questioning his ability as a family man, but am questioning the explanation. The “family needs” explanation is often used when a politician either wants to retire, resign because he feels it’s time, or resign because he’d rather it not be time, but the situation calls for it. It seems that for a lot of the administration officials who’ve recently resigned, I think it would be safe to use the latter option. Here’s why it’s so for Rove.

We need to consider that it’s 17 months until Bush is out of office (finally). He’s been a lame duck for a while now, but is increasingly close to not even being able to walk. He is getting fierce opposition for the Democrats (though I never realized how many conservative Democrats the Senate must have until the recent surveillance bill vote). Even large swaths of Congressmen and Senators in his own party are starting to move away from him, including some who were previously his most ardent supporters. They know as well as anyone that if they don’t distance themselves, they’ll be called on it come next election. Their fate may not be irrevocably tied to his office’s, but the two have something of a link.

And that’s in the Senate. Lets take policy decisions and administration. Depending on who you believe, the surge is either working or it’s not. I personally think it’s working in some areas, while in others, it may work for a while, but then the situation regresses. Or it works in one area, only for another to inherit the problem the first area had. I don’t believe that the surge has ever initially lost anywhere, but I’m not deluded into thinking it’s going absolutely peachy, either. However, with most media outlets reporting that it’s not working, anyone who says otherwise is being drowned out. Meanwhile, on the home front, I don’t think the whole US Attorney thing has gotten anywhere near its peak yet. Bush is claiming Executive Privledge, but I think the may only hold for so long, as more of his party speaks out against him.

And then there’s the 2008 election. Now, I’m not usually one for conspiracy theories, but imagine. Rove knows that he’s a liability when trying to get another Republican elected to his boss’ office. He has his hands in a lot of the administration’s policy decisions, but more importantly, some of the administration’s scandals. The big ones being Valerie Plame and the US Attorneys. He knows that for the average American, they can hardly remember what they ate for breakfast this morning, let alone what happened 17 months ago. By taking himself out the equation, he is really the only official left besides the President, Vice President, and Attorney General who have any connection to those cases. On a side note, I believe Gonzales will be the next to go. So, with him and Gonzales gone, at least from the public eye, the chances for a Republican to get the office will be better, right?

Honestly, who knows, but if his leaving leads to a Republican voted into office at the next election, I think it’s a pretty ingenious plan by a man who knows how to make some pretty ingenious plans. And even if I’m dead wrong, and he really does want to move on and have some family time, the move could trigger such an event. Of course, the idea of a Republican getting the office right now is laughable. But, come 12 months from now, we’ll see where the winds are headed.

Yes, yes, I know the whole bit about the CoS saying people need to decide now what they want to do, but who knows whether that was also set up to coincide with his leaving. Stranger things have happened.

And next time (perhaps tonight, since it’s very exciting to me), some stuff on my own family matters.