Dealt A Tough Hand

Andrew Card's resignation this morning really comes as no surprise. His tenure as White House Chief of Staff is the longest since Ike sat in the big white mansion. Next to President, the WH Chief of Staff may be the most difficult job on the planet. Under Bush, it may have actually been tops.

Recently reports have emerged than many of the blunders of the past six months (Katrina, ports deal, bungling on the Cheney hunting accident) were the result of an exhausted West Wing staff. Not good news for even the most partisan President supporter. I'm tired is an excuse that only works for 3 year olds and even then not always.

Without a doubt working for POTUS would tend to crush even the most A of A-types. Card reportedly arrived at 5:00am and didn't leave until well into the night. Many have said that Bush runs a CEO style White House. If this is true that would make Card the COO. He was the person who had to make sure the clocks were set right and the lights didn't get shut off because no one paid the electricity bill. Don't laugh. After recent events I don't think anyone would have been shocked if suddenly people's mansion went dark.

Imagine wading through the minutiae of every minute of activity in the nerve center of the free world. Combine that with a President who apparently pushed down all but the most important decisions and I begin to imagine that an 18th century sweat shop would have seemed more appealing. Ye gods, how did the man make it this long?

So farewell, Andy. Go get a nice cushy corporate job where you will be paid ten times as much to work ten times less.

Now about Cheney...