Rove and the weather gauge

If you could sit down with Admiral Nelson and ask for one piece of tactical advice, he'd most likely advise that you attack with the wind at your back. In the days of sailing ships, having the weather gauge, and therefore more control, meant a lethal advantage in an engagement.

Have the weather gauge... The most options possible. The most control. Stay ahead of the enemy's movements. Survive.

If you could sit down with Karen Hughes, etc., she'd tell you to stay in front of the story. Don't let the story lead you. Have the political weather gauge.

The Bush adminsitration has all but lost the political weather gauge.

It is certain that tomorrow's focus will be about silence, repeating 'not comment', and the fact that Bush and McClellan both said this was a serious matter in September of 2003.

The headline of Richard Stevenson's story from today's online NY Times: At White House, a Day of Silence on Rove's Role in C.I.A. Leak.
LINK.

The lede is absolutely stunning, and the silence comes from The Man, as Cheney likes to call him.

WASHINGTON, July 11 - Nearly two years after stating that any administration official found to have been involved in leaking the name of an undercover C.I.A. officer would be fired, and assuring that Karl Rove and other senior aides to President Bush had nothing to do with the disclosure, the White House on Monday refused to answer any questions about new evidence of Mr. Rove's role in the matter

Another tough lede for the White House, from the AP today:

WASHINGTON Jul 12, 2005 — The White House is suddenly facing damaging evidence that it misled the public by insisting for two years that presidential adviser Karl Rove wasn't involved in leaking the identity of a female CIA officer. LINK.

The headlines will not look good tomorrow. More from today's Times online: White House Silence on Rove's Role in Leak Enters 2nd Day. LINK.

Staying silent for two days is not going to move this back into the positive column for the Bush administration. What we can guarantee is that that silence will be featured prominently on the next news cycle, but something else is coming, and probably soon.

Some source is going to break Novak's apparent cooperation. And if Karl Rove is one of Novak's sources, well, then he is in serious trouble.

Lest we forget, this administration promoted Karl Rove to a foreign policy able position in February of this year. LINK.