Bolten wants to do another change--this time to Harriet Miers, apparently.
Joshua B. Bolten, the new White House chief of staff, has raised the possibility of moving Harriet E. Miers from her job as President Bush's counsel as part of a continuing shake-up of the West Wing, an influential Republican with close ties to Mr. Bolten said Thursday.
The Republican, who was granted anonymity to talk openly about sensitive internal White House deliberations, said that Mr. Bolten had floated the idea among confidants, but that it was unclear whether he would follow through or if the move would be acceptable to Mr. Bush, who has a longtime personal bond with Ms. Miers.
"It's a reflection of Josh's thinking," the Republican said. "It's not a prediction that he's going to get it done."
Could how Bolten feels about Miers have anything to do with his decision?
Mr. Bolten is said by a number of Republicans in Washington to feel that Ms. Miers is indecisive, a weak manager and slow in moving vital paperwork through the system.
It was not clear whether Mr. Bolten was floating a trial balloon to gauge White House reaction to the idea, or whether he might have been intending to send a signal to Ms. Miers that he would like her to think about leaving on her own.
And again with the White House spin! ZOMG NO! THIS IS NOT ANOTHER SHAKE-UP BECAUSE WE SAID THAT WOULDN'T EVER HAPPEN!!
A senior White House official denied that Mr. Bolten was considering such a step. "It's not the case," said the official, who was granted anonymity to get around the administration's policy of not commenting on personnel matters.
Yeah, I'm certain it was "difficult" to get around that policy in this case.
Well, one thing is certain...Bush is not very happy about losing his Texan circle.
Moving Ms. Miers would be a strike at the heart of Mr. Bush's emotional bonds in the White House and would eliminate another Texan from the circle he has kept close to him in Washington. Republicans who talk regularly to senior West Wing advisers say the president has been unhappy and on edge about the staff changes that he nonetheless sees as necessary for revitalizing the West Wing.
No, I would imagine Cheney or Bolten told Georgie to "STFU" about the changes if he knows what's good for him.
And in other news, is it official this time? Is Tony Snow really in negotiations for the WH press secretary job? Or is this another case of: "If FOX News said it, it must be true!"
On another front, Republicans said that Tony Snow, a commentator for Fox News and a former speechwriter for Mr. Bush's father, was in negotiations for the job of White House press secretary. Mr. Snow would replace Scott McClellan, who announced Wednesday that he was resigning.
Tags: [Harriet Miers], [Harriet Miers to get canned next?], [Joshua Bolten], [Bolten wants Miers gone], [Bush], [Bush isn't happy about losing his Texan circle of friends], [Tony Snow], [is Tony Snow the next White House press secretary?]
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