Bush in the Bunker

Does George W. Bush think he can dodge questions about the NIE leaks forever? Does he imagine that the American public will be satisfied with Scott McClellan's double-talk? At least one top Republican is telling Bush and Cheney to start talking.

The call came from Senator Arlen Specter, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

During an appearance on the Fox News Sunday television program, he was asked about revelations President Bush authorized the release of classified intelligence information that was used as part of an effort to discredit critics of the war in Iraq.

"We ought to get to the bottom of it so it can be evaluated, again, by the American people," said Senator Specter.

The revelations came to light in court papers filed last week in the case of Lewis Libby, the vice-president's former chief of staff. The prosecutor in the case said Libby, also known as Scooter, testified before a grand jury that he was authorized by the president to reveal information from a secret intelligence document on Iraq to reporters in 2003.

Libby said he got word of the authorization from the vice-president.

Senator Specter said under U.S. law, the president has the legal authority to declassify intelligence information. He made clear the problem is not the legality of the action, but the intent.

"... and I think that there needs to be a detailed explanation precisely as to what Vice President Cheney did, what the president said to him, and an explanation from the president as to what he said so that it can be evaluated," he added.

Every minute that Bush spends hunkered down, silent and out of sight, is another minute that his presidency spends dissolving into the muck of scandal. This is legacy-destroying stuff. Revealing classified information for the purposes of political payback is beyond Nixonian. Liberals like to use the term "Bushian" to describe the crimes and misdemeanors of this administration, but if George W. is not careful, his family name really will become synonymous with presidential wrongdoing. One wonders what is running through Poppy's mind as he watches this. What is Bar thinking?

The first round of post-leaker-in-chief polling results should be on their way soon. Any bets on 25 percent approval?