Harriet, dear Harriet

Could the neck of Harriet Miers be the next one on the White House chopping block?

Could be.

Joshua B. Bolten, the new White House chief of staff, has raised the possibility of moving Harriet E. Miers from her job as President Bush's counsel as part of a continuing shake-up of the West Wing, an influential Republican with close ties to Mr. Bolten said Thursday.

The Republican, who was granted anonymity to talk openly about sensitive internal White House deliberations, said that Mr. Bolten had floated the idea among confidants, but that it was unclear whether he would follow through or if the move would be acceptable to Mr. Bush, who has a longtime personal bond with Ms. Miers.

And again I ask, "where's the loyalty?" Maybe that qualifier about Miers' "personal bond" with Bush will matter in the end. The way things have been going lately, probably not.

Since the beginning of Bush's 2000 campaign, nobody has been able to shut up about the legendary Bush loyalty. He's loyal, they say. He prizes loyalty over all other virtues.

It turns out that in the Bush Family, loyalty is a one-way street. It's a pyramid scheme, just like the mob. The money, power and respect go uphill, and the excrement flows down.

So, in a vain attempt to project once again an image of strength and purpose to the American people, Bush is jettisoning the very people who have been most loyal and, frankly, helpful to him. The foot soldiers, the true believers, are shown the door. The corrupt, incompetent capos, the ones who got him into this mess to begin with, are drawn even closer.

And, he thinks this will help.

Only God can help him now.