The White House is not happy about it

By Lee Russ

Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 05:11 PM

That's what MSNBC host Joe Scarborough told the Washington Post about his recent program that included a panel discussion on whether "George Bush's mental weakness is damaging America's credibility at home and abroad."

Scarborough concluded that "I think George Bush is in a league by himself. I don't think he has the intellectual depth as these other people."

Scarborough became the latest in a long line of one-time Bush supporters to go public with criticism, joining George Will and William Buckley, among others (even Rich Lowry of National Review).

Over in fantasy land East (aka the White House), this is all dismissed, because, as Tony Snow said:

It's hardly unusual in times of war that people get anxious, and that would include people who have supported the president. The president understands that and is not fazed by it.

Which would be a lot easier to believe if a critical George Will column had not prompted the response described by the Washington Post story thusly:

The White House responded with a 2,432-word rebuttal -- three times as long as the column -- e-mailed to supporters and journalists

I think Joe Scarborough is right, and Tony Snow is lying: the White House ain't happy.

The 2006 election will test, among other things, whether an increasingly divided ruling party can wield its ruling power and its propaganda/smear machines effectively enough to withstand the sudden awareness of the populace that they have been conned, conned in a big way, and with massive consequences.

I'm still not sure what the answer will be.