...or was the axis of evil there all along?

Let me see if I have this right.

First, the President fires Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of State causing the Pentagon to throw the biggest kegger in history. Then Karl Rove is mysteriously removed to an undisclosed location, hopefully a nudist colony in Greenland, and is almost never heard from again. Now, Vice President Dick Cheney (secret service code name, "Dr. Evil") has taken a week vacation to the forward edge of the battle area.

And, now that the cloud of insidous gloom has been lifted, what has happened? The President uses the opportunity to send Condellezza Rice to the Middle East to organize a tea dance with Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq; a move that was proposed and apparently rejected by the Administration when the Iraq Study Group Report was released. Also, President Bush visits New Orleans to "listen" to the citizens of that city (those who have managed to return or who never left) and learn of their frustration. Now that the water has cleared from their lungs they are presumably easier to understand. (Granted George has only talked to, and been photographed with, people who have actually been helped; but it's a start.)

Wow! Call William Peter Blatty! There has been another exorcism near Georgetown. George W. has had his demons cast out. He has seen the light. He has been cleansed. Praise Jesus.

We hardly know what to expect next. Perhaps the President will offer Mary Cheney the use of the White House for her wedding. He might invite outed, former NBA player John Amaechi to meet the twins. Or maybe he'll block some TV time and explain to the American people that he really never read any of the intelligence leading up to 9/11 because it was boring and besides, he had a tee time.

He may even admit that the closest he ever came to reading the Bible was watching The Ten Commandments three times. He might 'fess up that he never really liked or trusted the Christian Right. In fact, Jerry Falwell kind of creeps him out. Ultimately, he could confess to hating NASCAR.

Editors note: Reverend Ted Haggard is still straight after four weeks. Praise the Lord.

We all suspected that the President was just a tool of the right wing. Clearly, wanted-poster faces like Rumsfeld and Rove were un-electable so the Republican party needed an empty suit/empty head with a recognizable name to put on the campaign posters. (Posters of Rumsfeld or Cheney were considered too scary for children.)

Once George was elected the real power elite took over. They let Bush take the bows (and the heat) while they ran the country. Rumsfeld, Cheney & Rove had no interest in domestic policy which explains why, in six years of a Republican President and a Republican Congress, no significant domestic legislation has seen the light of day.They also had no use for the kind of real experience that Colin Powell brought to the State Department. No token black man was ever treated so shamefully. What RCR wanted was war with Iraq.

I think it was a wager among them. Rove bet that he could elect a can of Green Giant lima beans if given a free hand. Rumsfeld bet that he could march an undermanned, under-equipped military into war without anyone asking why or who would pay. Cheney bet that he could steal billions using Halliburton as cover. Compared to RCR; Hussein, Ahmadinejadand & 'lil Kim are tyros.

Well, that's all mission accomplished now. The three stooges of American foreign policy have left the building and guess what? George W. Bush is starting to run America. With two years left on his term (actually 22 months & 21 days but who's counting?) the President is beginning to act like the "compassionate conservative" that middle America elected in Nov, 2000. Wouldn't it be refreshing to have this man admit to his mistakes and pledge to do better? It would take the Mayo Clinic of spin doctors to fix his legacy thus far but at least he could attempt to do no more harm.

Give it a try, George. Keep Cheney on the road (there must be a funeral somewhere he can attend). Keep the bigots in Congress busy chasing Mexicans on the border. Keep Rove on ice and try to do some good with the time you have left. Call Jimmy Carter and see if he has an extra hammer.