An unlikely course of events...but...

Apparently McCain is backing up calls by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to hold joint Intel+Armed Service hearings on the question of Bush's justification for going to war (link courtesy RonK). McCain is still expressing public confidence in the President's case. But what if he is also position himself to be the next Howard Baker? This leads me to a truly far-fetched idea: what if the WMD story causes the Bush administration to go into total meltdown mode and Bush starts to lose large amounts of public support? In the meantime, McCain, via these hearings, will build his own support within the public. Can you see where this could lead to: a damaged Bush agrees with the party not to run again (ala LBJ) and McCain steps into assume the nomination and win in 2004. As I said, this is a far-fetched idea. For one thing it would require Bush to do something for the good of the party and when has Bush EVER done anything for the good of someone else? But it would certainly completely change the dynamics of the 2004 race. Instead of Dean going up against a damaged Bush he would be going up against a strengthened McCain. Oh well, it's just an idea. No need to worry about it. There are much more likely things to worry about right now.