Bush rallies the truly base.

We think it is fair to say that we here at DHAIP do not view the world through rose-colored glasses. Yet even we were mildly surprised to come across this information.

Only a few scant days after Mr. Limbaugh sealed his already-firm status as a dreadful, waddling blight upon humanity, the esteemed leader of Amerikansas himself will be stopping by for a quick spot of chat. The commentator in the first link views this as a sign of desperation at the top. We would be more than pleased to accept that explanation, but being, after all, professional pessimists (or at any rate semiprofessional -- our interns are unpaid), we find ourselves wondering: if this is desperation, what can Mr. Bush be desperate enough to think he will gain?

Our current Congress enjoys a solid 16-31% approval rating, making it significantly less popular among US citizens than Holocaust denial. In the face of these numbers, even the once-savvy masterminds of the GOP must realize that rallying the base simply won't be enough. And with Limbaugh's appeal tarnished even among those individuals who found him appealing to begin with --imagine those people for a moment -- can this possibly be a sound move? The past Bush strategy for dealing with the disgraced is to distance himself, vide Kenneth Lay and Jack Abramoff.

Our official position, therefore, is that this is a display of obscene overconfidence. We stand by our past assertion: the GOP do not intend to lose. The ball's in your court, Diebold.