Scuttlebut

It seems the scuttlebut today is that the Republicans have a rather diabolical two pronged plan afoot to keep the White House in 2008. The first part involves Lugar and Voinovich and perhaps others setting up the Democrats to believe that the Thuglicans are actually out to end the war in Iraq. This will soften the Democrats up enough sucker them into striking a deal with the White House that sounds as though it is winding down the war, but which, in fact, allows Bush to keep the troops in Iraq as long as he pleases. Meanwhile, the Thuglicans, not the Democrats, will get the kudos for "ending" the war, and the war as a campaign issue will be off the table.

The second prong is to have Dick Cheney resign and replace him with whomever Bush chooses as his successor in order to set the successor up as second-commander-in-chief soon enough to give him a real boost come election day. So, that needs to happen in about six months.

I have no inside dope, but it sure wouldn't surprise me if that's the way things play out. And, the Democrats are just stupid enough to fall for it.