The Republicans' Perfect Storm

The Perfect Storm is a book and movie about a series of weather events that combined in a very rare way to produce a storm of a magnitude very rarely seen. Awesome.

We're seeing it again, and right on time. Or a little late, but just in time.

From the EssEffChron:

One wonders at what point a political edifice starts irredeemably to crumble.

First this.

Then this.

Followed by this.

While Bush administration defenders say critics are drawing the wrong conclusions from the leaked parts of the NIE report, that Bob Woodward's book is full of "myths", and that the Mark Foley affair is no worse than various Democratic congressional and presidential indiscretions, it is hard to see how things won't get worse before they get better (assuming they do) for Republicans, with mid-term elections just four weeks out.

Apart from the fallout from what some will construe as a GOP leadership coverup in the Mark Foley affair -- one Republican has already said House Speaker Dennis Hastert "lied" about what he knew and Connecticut Republican Chris Shays has said anyone in a leadership comes position who knew about it should step down -- along comes a new book about Colin Powell's experiences in the Bush administration which will only add to the "state of denial" flames.

Also lurking out there, in what appears to be an increasingly leak-happy atmosphere is another "damning" Iraq intelligence report, which, California Rep. Jane Harman, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, wants released.

The Washington Post's excerpts of Bob Woodward's book can be found here.

Bob Woodward interviewed on "60 Minutes" .

The Post's Sunday magazine article on Colin Powell can be found here.

Emails between Rep. Mark Foley and a congressional page can be found here. (page not available. You've seen 'em anyway. G)

IMs from Rep. Foley to the congressional page can be found at a link here.

I mourned the loss of the Andrea Gail. I'll cheer when the Republicans slide stern-first into the depths.

The timing of all this stuff coming out is absolutely impeccable. Who says there's no plan to wrest control of the government back from the Repugs? Ha!

Just tell the truth about 'em all at the same time.