Bolten

No "outside gray-beard" like so many nattering nabobs in the MSM have been calling for, today's shake-up in the President's most inner circle brings in a distinctly un-Washington character.

Thank you to Howling Latina, at the new Virginia Progressive group blog, for pointing out this now-ancient 2001 Business week article. While this "Mumbling Honky" definitely agrees it is worth noting that Mr. Bolten has been sighted "canoodling" with Ms. Derek, I think the ultimate value of this piece is that it gives us a chance to see what the convention wisdom on Bolten was, as opposed to what it has become in the hours since he was named COS. The whole article is worth many reads- but two things stand out to me:

1. The Charlie Norwood anecdote certainly doesn't bode well for the administration's interactions with Congress, but at least we can be sure that Bush didn't cave in to Rep. Tom Davis with this pick.
2." With many of his colleagues preoccupied by the war on terrorism, the secretive Bolten is more valuable than ever as he works to keep the rest of the Bush agenda moving. But he'd rather the outside world not know." When the President's approval ratings where they are, with a country that now apparently trusts Democrats on taxes more than Republicans, I hope that Bolten has developed some taste for engaging the public.