Blonde Loyalty to Bush

Is there something in the White House water that deprives young women of free will and at the same time lightens their hair color?

The question is raised by Senate testimony today of Sara Taylor, following on recent public performances by Monica Goodling and Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino.

In answering some and evading other questions by the Judiciary Committee, Ms. Taylor showed a familiar undeviating loyalty to the Bush Administration and its master political chemist Karl Rove while navigating the narrows between perjury and contempt of Congress.

Pressuring the former White House political director, Democrats have a perception problem of their own, the risk of old pols appearing to bully a sincere young woman into betraying her former bosses.

"Having worked most of her adult life for President Bush,” her attorney wrote to the committee beforehand, “she is unquestionably loyal to the president. If there is to be a clash, we urge the Senate to direct its sanction against the White House, not against a former staffer."

It appears that Sen. Leahy et al will get very little help from Ms. Taylor. If they want the truth about the U.S. Attorney firing scandal, it will take a legal battle about executive privilege to get Rove’s testimony under oath.

Meanwhile, watching Ms. Taylor today evokes speculation about how different Paris Hilton’s life might be today if she had applied for a White House internship.

Sound of High-Heeled Shoes Dropping

Gallant as always, the Bushies have apparently thrown a couple of women to Congressional investigators by letting subpoenas be served on Harriet Meirs and Karl Rove's assistant, Sara Taylor.

But the bloodhounds won't be thrown off the scent until they get to Rove himself in the trail of the U. S. Attorney firings. Now that they have sniffed their way inside the White House, there won't be much space left for hiding.

The Master Strategist may want to mull over how much it helped Alberto Gonzales when they pushed his assistants in front of the oncoming train. Gonzales and Rove may continue to serve at the pleasure of the President until he leaves the White House, but if evidence of criminal activity comes out, there may be other places in which to serve after January 2009.