Gonzales out, Chertoff in

By Michael J.W. Stickings

That's the juicy rumour at U.S. News, picked up by Steve Benen, who rightly finds it rather "odd". (Grain of salt. Taken.)

It would make sense for Gonzales to resign, or to be forced out (finally, at long last), but Chertoff has had his own share of problems at Homeland Security. (How often would the name "Katrina" come up at confirmation hearings? How often would senators ask him about his gut?)

Stranger things have happened, though, and, to quote the title of one of the better movies of last year, the Bush presidency has often been stranger than fiction.

Given that Bush likely doesn't see Chertoff the way the rest of us do (he probably thinks he's doing a heckuva job) -- given that he doesn't see reality the way the rest of us do -- I wouldn't put this one beyond the realm of possibility.