Just the help…

The Bush Administration continues to try to distance itself from the odor of the Abramoff scandal.  The following tidbit from Time’s recent cover story is amusing:

Even before DeLay’s announcement that he would abdicate his leadership post, top Bush advisers tell TIME, the President’s inner circle always treated DeLay as a necessary burden. He may have had an unmatched grip on the House and Washington lobbyists, but DeLay is not the kind of guy–in background and temperament–the President feels comfortable with. Of the former exterminator, a Republican close to the President’s inner circle says, “They have always seen him as beneath them, more blue collar. He’s seen as a useful servant, not someone you would want to vacation with.”

Hm…  The Bushies view blue collar types as beneath them, and as useful servants?  That doesn’t sound like a very warm and fuzzy way to relate to what constitutes a lot of their core voters.  Their blue blood heritage is shining through.

Matthew Cowley at The Plank snarks:

Gotta love the Bush family! “It’s a pity, but we’ve had to let the butler go. Caught the fellow pinching from the silver drawer, don’t you know. He never did strike us as a fully upright sort anyway. Right, ho!” 

Shakespeare’s Sister

Bush may be the president a thin majority of Americans would most like to have a beer with, but he doesn’t want to have a beer with them.

Hm… That calls to mind a recent story in The Onion.

The politics of distraction

A lot is being suggested about the upcoming Alito nomination battle.   

How much of the whispering in the right’s ear is misdirection?  Another interesting tidbit from the aforementioned Time article:

Republican officials say they are so worried about the Abramoff problem that they are now inclined to stoke a fight with Democrats over the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in an effort to turn the page from the lobbying investigation. Outside groups plan to spend heavily, and the White House will engage in some tit for tat with Democrats as the hearings heat up.  

Jonathan Singer notes:

This tactic is nothing new for the Bush White House. In July 2005, just as the media began to place increased focus on the investigation into the Valerie Plame leak (it emerged that Karl Rove had spoken with Matt Cooper about Plame, Judith Miller went to jail, and, Bush shifted his position on firing those implicated), Bush announced the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Just over two months later, during the same week in which House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted for conspiracy and money laundering and the Security and Exchange Commission commenced a probe into potential insider trading by Senate Majority Leader, President Bush hastily announced that he had nominated Harriet Miers to serve on the Supreme Court.

While it certainly would be unwise to lay down on Samuel Alito without a fight at this moment — it is essential that Democrats and progressives ensure that a rabid conservative is not allowed to dictate his views from the Supreme Court — just the same, it would be a strategic mistake to allow President Bush to distract Americans from serious Republican problems. Undoubtedly, a balance can be found between the two to ensure that a sufficient fight is put up against Alito while at the same time the public is educated about the degree to which Washington has become compromised under Republican control.

Dan Cody comments:

Politically, this could be a tough situation for Democrats. On one hand, they need to make sure that Alito faces a tough and thorough confirmation process where some serious questions get asked and answered. But they also have to make sure they don’t allow Republicans to make it into a bigger issue than it is just to sweep their growing ethics investigations out of the news cycle.

Don’t let the Alito hearings become a side show.  Yes it’s important, yes there may be some legitimate questions to be raised.  But keep the main focus where it belongs, on the ethical lapses.