Perhaps most famously in the last few weeks was MSNBC's Joe Scarborough's 'investigation' of the question: "Is George Bush an Idiot?" The talking heads discussing this were center and right. Not a lefty in sight.

Editorial page after columnist after radio yakker after teevee pundit - all on the right - have been hammering on Il Dunce as we've never witnessed hammering.

A new found 'bravery' in those held captive by the vaunted Karl Rove?

Hardly.

The Bush duck has simply pulled up lame a bit early. The midterms are coming and, in district after district, the campaign managers are reading polls. Thanks but no thanks is the reply to offers for campaign help. When it comes to taking one for the team or taking it in one's ass, maintaining the virginity of one's ass will trump the team every time.

In many ways, this may be the Republican strategists' finest hour.

There is no altruism at work here. There is no new found voice. There is no disgust with the man-child. There is only hard nosed politics.

Here's a single number to counter it all: "90%"

That would be about the right number to describe the rubber stamp support given 'this President' by those who would now call him an idiot.

Bush is no idiot.

And he has no Republican critics.

If there are any idiots in this calculus, it could be **US** if we fail to counter this latest strategy.

"Tie the bastards to their votes" needs to be tattooed on the back of every hand of every Dem running for every office in every race.