The continuing lack of a Democratic Agenda

So Libby is cooked. And Meirs is gone. And yet - it was a good week for the President. Crazy? No. Think of what COULD have happened this week -
A. The ongoing fall out from the Right as Harriet moved toward hearings that would have prompted a GOP meltdown. Bush can now choose some one clearly on the far Right, get his base back, and start an entirely winable war with the Democratic minority.
B. Rove could have been indicted. But Rove is still working in the west wing. If anyone can restore W to some sort of reasonably decent standing it is Rove. He is back in the saddle for now. No one is more necessary to this President.

Both of these factors lay open the possibility of a revived Bush presidency, and point up the ongoing and consistent ineptitude of the Democratic Leadership. Reid, Dean, Pelosi, and the rest have one political tactic: Let the GOP destroy itself. This is fine, provided that the GOP takes you up on the offer. However, the GOP is now past self destruct mode, and going into recovery mode. The downward spiral of W and the GOP has largely been brought on by a hurricane and the press versus the Republican leadership. The Democrats remain missing, confusing tactical silence with disappearing entirely.

The Plame outing investigation is fascinating and important. But it cannot replace a clear,concise alternative agenda from the opposition. The Democratic Party will not ride back to power in the wake of Patrick Fitzgerald. Unless it forcefully presents a plan for this country it may not come back in to power again at all.