White House scared straight?

E.J. Dionne in the Wasington Post:

Here's the real meaning of the White House shake-up and the redefinition of Karl Rove's role in the Bush presidency: The administration's one and only domestic priority in 2006 is hanging on to control of Congress.

That, in turn, means that all the spin about Rove's power being diminished is simply wrong. Yes, Rove is giving up some policy responsibilities to concentrate on politics, but guess what: The possibility of President Bush's winning enactment of any major new policy initiative this year is zero. Rove is simply moving to where all the action will, of necessity, be.

As one outside adviser to the administration said, the danger of a Democratic takeover of at least one house of Congress looms large and would carry huge penalties for Bush. The administration fears "investigations of everything" by congressional committees, this adviser said, and the "possibility of a forced withdrawal from Iraq" through legislative action.

Read the rest here.

The thought of a Dem majority, even if just in the House, is almost too delicous to even think about. Just imagine the corruption, abuse of power, and sheer negligence and incompetence which would come forward. It would make Watergate look like the stupid skirmish over whether Rumler's campaign signs were union printed.

Joshua Micah Marshall has a good take on this piece.