The End to Charmed Political Lives?

With the announcement by former House Minority Leader Tom DeLay that he would not seek reelection, apparently the charmed life of a number of Republicans is coming to an end.

DeLay, according to the Washington Post, will step down from the House rather than face a reelection fight that appears increasingly unwinnable. This, only a few days after a former top aide plead guilty and apparently decided to cooperate with investigators.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Bill Frist already had decided to not seek reelection and apparently is looking forward to not being in the Senate. In an article in the New York Times, Frist said that he loved being leader but that he would find it liberating to leave.

Apparently Frist feels that in the Senate people aren't getting the proper view of him. "The real Bill Frist, they don't really see," whined Frist, who wants to run for President in 2008. Oh what a shame. I mean if people were to get an realistic view of Senators then John Kerry would be President and John Edwards would be Vice President.

At the top of the charmed food chain is George Bush and he is already prevented from seeking another term, although he actually only won one term as President so you have to wonder if he might go to the Supreme Court and argue to be allowed to win a second term.

Instead Bush apparently is going down in flames with approval ratings in the '30s and even military men criticizing his administration. In remarks Sunday on NBC, General Anthony Zinni of the U.S. Marine Corps, a former commander of the Central Command who retired in 2000, said that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should be held accountable and should resign for tactical mistakes in Iraq.

With an election approximately seven months away, and prospects of a Republican loss growing larger everyday, one might think Bush would decide to clean house. But that would involve admitting his house is dirty and that is something he is unlikely to do.

In the past Bush, DeLay and Frist survived by changing the storyline and attacking others but at this point it is difficult for people to look away from the mess in Washington, meaning the charmed life for the three and their groupies may be about over.