Milbank: Plenty of Embarrassment to Go Around Today

[kskiska]

The Metaphor Alert sounded at the White House at about 9:45 a.m.

Minutes earlier, press secretary Scott McClellan had announced his resignation on the South Lawn and hopped aboard Marine One for a trip to Andrews Air Force Base with President Bush. The helicopter doors closed, the rotors began to spin, and then stopped a minute later. The doors re-opened and the president exited with a shrug. He just can't gain altitude these days.

"We have an issue with the helicopter," reported Bush, as his staff hastily prepared a motorcade. "Everybody's safe."

If only.

Nobody's safe at the White House these days, as new Chief of Staff Josh Bolten swings his axe. Andy Card is gone, McClellan and senior Bush aide Jim Towey will soon be gone, and Karl Rove had to give up one of his jobs. There's a new director at OMB, a new deputy staff chief in the White House -- and plenty more shaking up still to come.

It must be a particularly difficult moment for McClellan -- and the malfunctioning helicopter is the least of his problems. It speaks volumes about McClellan's relationship with the press that he chose to announce his departure while the White House press corps was about 30,000 feet over Alabama.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041901777.html

[Supersedeas]

1. It speaks to his cowardice that he chose to annouce while the Press was

30,000 feet over Alabama