Oh, please. Bush is "focused" after Skippy or Scooter or Buffy or whatever the hell preppy Aide to the President was fired. Oh, wait. Bush didn't actually fire I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Chief of Staff to the VP and Aide to the President, as he had vowed to earlier in his Reign. He let Scooter resign, instead.

But I digress. Unlike Bush would, because Bush is focused. Yes, he is focused on scooting right on past this scandal just as fast as his little workout-obsessed legs will carry him. The Presidential He-Man, Protector of America (can you hear me whistling "God Bless America" here?), is focused on, what else? "Protecting America".

As is so often the case, I am touched and moved by Dubya's concern for me and mine. Truly, I sleep better at night knowing that he is not paying a bit of attention to ole Scooter's problems and is, instead, focusing on killing Iraqis and making our nation a more Christian place to live. Finding just the right SCOTUS nominee that will be able to carry forward the Right values and beliefs. Continuing to watch over Homeland Security, as his administration as proven so able at thus far this term.

But wait, there's more that Bush had to say about Buffy. Er, Scooter. Scooter "worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people and sacrificed much in the service to this country". Yep. Ole Scooter is the sacrificial lamb for the Bush administration in Plamegate. The Bushies run such a tight ship that all Patrick Fitzgerald could get was Scooter.

Doesn't matter what Bush has to say about Scooter, though. Or going back to work. Because the Americans he's working tirelessly (sic) to protect aren't too happy with him. A 40% approval rating is not exactly something to cheer about. Even Republicans aren't pleased about the air of stank surrounding the Republicans right now. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) said, "They wanted the president to restore honor and integrity to the White House. Whatever agenda the president wants to pursue, if he hasn't reestablished a strong ethical standard, he's going to fail. . . . Americans don't like to be lied to."

Not usually, no. We may have come to expect it from politicians. But we don't enjoy it. And we don't forget it. We won't forget that Plamegate is about a government faking a reason for starting a war. We won't forget that Plamegate is about a government turning on its own CIA operator and putting her in danger. We won't forget that Plamegate is two steps away from the President.

So scoot all you want, Mr. President. I'm counting on the American public having a bit longer memory than you want them to have. I'm hoping for a more educated and less trusting electorate next time around. And I'm hoping for an electorate who won't let some Bush-approved Republican scare-monger them into voting Republican out of fear.

Until tomorrow,
Liz