by DemFromCT
Andy Card Resigns. President forced to accept rsignation. Bush backs down. Again.
Mr. Bush has come under increasing pressure in recent months from members of his own party to shake up his staff as a way of turning around his decline in popularity.
Many Republicans felt that even without Mr. Bush's mounting problems some new faces were needed. Mr. Card was approaching the record of the longest serving White House chief of staff. His tenure rivaled that of Sherman Adams, who held that position under President Eisenhower.
While many of Mr. Bush's problems are related to increasing public uneasiness over Iraq, it was Mr. Card who took the blame for the slowness of the White House staff's response to Hurricane Katrina and to criticism of the Dubai ports deal. Republicans have also become increasingly vocal about their perception that the White House has lost its political edge.
But the move announced today leaves in place Karl Rove, the President's top political adviser, who is a deputy chief of staff. And it does not represent an infusion of new blood, since Mr. Bolten is also a longtime adviser, and served as a deputy chief of staff before becoming budget director.
What else do you need to know?
"A shake-up in the midst of plummeting poll numbers with a loyalist is a step backwards, and not what Republicans were looking for. Back to you, Brian."
Posted by: DemFromCT | March 28, 2006 at 09:04
I've got a feeling that Andy Card's resignation has something to do with the Plame outing scandal. He certainly was in all the right places to have done something wrong: Founder of the White House Iraq Group; on Air Force One in the July 2003 trip to Africa; warned by Abu Gonzalez 12 hours before White House staff was told to preserve documents in the case.
Posted by: dilemmanade | March 28, 2006 at 10:26
"it was Mr. Card who took the blame for the slowness of the White House staff's response to Hurricane Katrina and to criticism of the Dubai ports deal."
Nice try. Has this ever been mentioned before, or is this just a particularly blatant attempt at scapegoating? ("Oh, that was all Andy Card's fault, and no, we didn't exactly fire him, but he did resign in good standing months later, which is almost the same thing, right?")
Posted by: Redshift | March 28, 2006 at 11:13
speaking of weakness, JMM found this:
Senator John McCain to Address Liberty Commencement Ceremony
Straight-talking jive bullshit. McCain is going to lose his constituency through pandering.
Posted by: DemFromCT | March 28, 2006 at 11:26
Hello McFly...
Posted by: PoliShifter | March 28, 2006 at 15:41
Anybody see Abu Gonzales introduce Bush before his immigration speech the other day? Wowzers.
Posted by: jonnybutter | March 29, 2006 at 17:29