“Emergency Resuscitation”

Things must be rough for the president because even Fred Barnes has clambered out of the prone position and is proposing a radical shake-up of the administration. Money quote:

The president’s most spectacular move would be to anoint a presidential successor. This would require Vice President Cheney to resign. His replacement? Condoleezza Rice, whom Bush regards highly. Her replacement? Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, whose Bush-like views on Iraq and the war on terror have made him a pariah in the Democratic caucus.

There’s a let-down, however. Fred wants to move Cheney to Defense. At that point, the idea gets loopy. But give Fred points for trying. The chances of such a shake-up, alas, seem to me to be close to zero. This president cannot seem to fire people; and he cannot easily manage them either. New people scare him. My prediction? He’ll sleep-walk with the same people and the same pillow till he’s sent back to Crawford. But I hope I’m proven wrong.