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Former US secretary of state James A. Baker III, who is now leading a review of the situation in Iraq by a bipartisan US committee of experts, was visibly shocked when he visited Iraq, and said the country was in a "hell-of-a-mess." Baker's committee is expected to recommend a change in US strategy for rebuilding Iraq.Bob Woodward's book, "State of Denial," reports that then-White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. twice suggested that Bush fire Rumsfeld and replace him with former secretary of state James Baker. Republicans and Democrats, the generals, the media, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Andy Card, the first President Bush, and even Laura Bush all want him gone. Until now George W. Bush has resisted all of the pressure to get rid of his defense secretary, Don Rumsfeld.
Could Karl Rove's promised pre-election October surprise come in the form of Bush "firing" Rumsfeld and hiring James Baker for defense secretary? Bush and all of the GOP could then make a big show out of "adapting to situation" on the ground in Iraq and bipartisanship. That "totally unexpected pre-election" move could throw the all the Democratic campaigns off message just long enough for the GOP to retake some lost ground.
