Digby reminds us that the fetid stench of Turdblossom still freely permeates the halls of the West Wing:

…But let's not forget what we know about our friend Karl Rove. There's no doubt he participated eagerly in the smear against Wilson, he just wasn't as stupid as Libby, nor did he have as much to cover up, what with having a half-wit for a boss who barely knows what day it is. And he got very lucky with the happy coincidence of a little sloppy gossip over drinks between blabbermouth Viveca Novak and Rove's lawyer that gave him a plausible explanation for his miraculous recovered memories. Cheney is even on record as being pissed that Rove was getting the protection of the president while poor little Scooter was hung out to dry….

Libby did this thing out of loyalty. Rove did it out of sheer partisan hatred.

It's a shame that Rove isn't going to bed tonight a convicted felon like Scooter Libby is. The fateful loss of the mid-term elections and the complete collapse of the Bush administration will have to be his legacy. After all, Karl Rove is "Bush's Brain," the king of the Mayberry Machiavellis who thought he could run a nation like a dirty tricks campaign in South Carolina. He was in way over his head and now he reeks of the fetid stench of Bush/Cheney failure, for which he, probably more than any other single person, is responsible. I would be very surprised if any politician in the country will ever hire him again.

It's not what he deserves. But it's better than nothing.

I am still awaiting the answer to my question: why does Karl Rove, a man who has admitted to confirming classified information to a journalist without proper authorization, still have a high level security clearance in violation of his SF-312 agreement? Isn't it about time members of Congress started asking that question — in the nation's best interest?

And what was Karl doing while his super-loyal patsy of a BFF Scooter spent the week awaiting the verdict of a jury of his peers?

President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush had dinner last night at the home of Karl and Darby Rove in the upscale Palisades neighborhood of Washington.

When a pool reporter following the president's intown travel stationed outside dispatched an email to Rove inside, asking if the architect of the president's campaigns could spare a doggy bag for the press van, sure enough — out came an emissary bearing a gift of sausage and quail wings.

The press had already called in a pepperoni-and-mushroom pizza from Domino's, but the host's contribution to the press van feast was the most excitement seen outside this residence in a while.

Why, dining on quail wings with President and Mrs. Bush, of course. And tossing out the scraps to the media outside.  I suppose that "quail wings" are a step up from the usual cocktail weenies, although I do note that "sausage" of some sort was also on the press menu.  (Nice that they can Blackberry in a personal request for scraps directly from Rove, himself, isn't it?)

One wonders if the "quail wings" were some sort of back-handed homage to Shooter on the eve of his former top aide's guilty verdict. But then, the Vice President and his wife weren't exactly invited to this private little soiree, were they? If I were Shooter, I'd be watching my back. I smell another Turdblossom Special in the works. 

Of course, maybe Vice President Cheney has a new BFF to watch his back for him.

Why yes, that it Sen. Joe Lieberman.  Good ole CYA Joe, always ready to stick up for his pals in a pinch.  Funny how his pals all seem to be cronies of Dick Cheney, isn't it?  (Photo by Stephen Crowley for the NYTimes.  H/T to egregious, who appears to have spotted this about the same time I did.)

UPDATE:  Steve T. makes a great point in the comments:

What struck me when I saw that photo of Cheney in the Times this morning was that he was described as being at the Capitol for the regular weekly Republican strategy luncheon. So what was Joe doing there?

Yes, enquiring minds and all that — what WAS Lieberman doing hanging out around the Republican strategy luncheon?  Hmmmm?