well if the bush administration really did make last tuesday's announcement to push rove off the front page of the new york times, it officially didn't work. or at least, it didn't work for long. the times has another front page story today, above the fold even. there's also a roberts story on the front page, but it's below the fold. roberts only pushed rove off for two days. that's some really shitty pushing.
if bush really wanted his nomination to dominate the news cycle, he should have picked someone more controversial. a nomination that would have really rocked the boat and made people flip out. like former alabama chief justice roy moore. that would have been an utter circus. or better yet, prince bandar bin sultan.
justice bandar would have been perfect if you want a raging controversy. he's personally close to bush, and bush is famously loyal to his friends. he's also available, he's stepping down as saudi ambassador. bush could call the nomination of a foreign citizen to america's highest court "historic." bush could also tout bandar as the first muslim justice, which would get at least some of the christian right to turn against him even though bandar is probably pro-life. but because he's a member of the saudi royal family, most muslims wouldn't like him either. he's not an american citizen, pissing off the anti-immigrant crowd. and it would have also been like throwing gasoline on liberal groups who have long complained about close american-saudi connections and the special privileges saudi royalty seems to get (chartered flights out of the country after 9-11 are nothing compared to a supreme court seat!) plus, it would have been fun to watch the bush-does-no-wrong bobble-heads on t.v. trying to defend a candidate who's main qualification is that he speaks good english and is buddies with the prez.
man, that would have been great political theater. maybe not so good for the country, or bush's approval ratings, but it would create weeks of raging washington kerfuffle. the word "rove" would not be uttered by anyone until at least late august.
