I think we are all familiar by now with the need that some journalists might have for the occasional genuflect toward the Shrine of Karl.  But this morning’s NYTimes piece — by Nagourney and Bumiller (big shocker, I know) — is truly an exercise in obeisance:

By most accounts inside and outside the administration, Mr. Rove is relentlessly cheerful, presenting himself as an optimistic face in a gloomy White House. One person who met Mr. Rove said he attributed Mr. Bush’s problems more to external events, in particular Hurricane Katrina and Iraq, than to anything the White House did wrong.  (emphasis mine)

Someone explain to me how an anonymous statement wherein a friend of Karl Rove essentially says "Don’t blame us for anything that doesn’t get done properly by government.  Shit happens." goes entirely unchallenged by these reporters?

Last I checked, we started the war in Iraq — as a preemptive action.  And  last I checked, the Republican-controlled Congress issued a scathing report saying that the problems with the Katrina response were a failure of leadership — from President Bush on down.

Here’s a thought:  Accountability.  Try it on for size.

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