BUSH HAS SCREWED UP SO BADLY THAT NO ONE CAN UNSCREW IT ALL UP. SO I GUESS KARL ROVE'S WORK IS DONE.

Lead story in yesterday's New York Times:

Democrats Say Leaving Iraq May Take Years

Even as they call for an end to the war and pledge to bring the troops home, the Democratic presidential candidates are setting out positions that could leave the United States engaged in Iraq for years.

...Most of the Democratic candidates mention the significant military and logistical difficulties in bringing out American troops, which even optimistic experts say would take at least a year....

Biggest political story today:

Karl Rove, President Bush's longtime political adviser, is resigning as White House deputy chief of staff effective Aug. 31, and returning to Texas....

Well, why not? What else is left for him to do? The consuming quest of the second term -- keeping the war going until Junior leaves office -- has been accomplished despite the Democratic takeover of Congress. All the pieces are in place: The quagmire worsens and therefore (see above) extrication of U.S. troops seems ever more difficult and dangerous; the testimony of Saint Petraeus will prevent a veto-proof majority from turning against the president; fear of al-Qaeda is on the rise again (nicely timed rumor of a dirty bomb attack, eh, Karl?) ... The whole thing's on autopilot. The blueprints are in final form; the workers can finish the job themselves -- they don't need the Architect.

And I'm sure the Iran plans are all drawn up as well; Rove may need to do a bit of telephone consulting with the White House, though Cheney can supervise that project day to day.

Reading that Times story yesterday, I found myself thinking that the war may really be the gift that keeps on giving for the GOP, even though it didn't work for the party in '06 the way it worked in '04 and '02. If the perception in '08 is that the Democratic nominee won't really be able to get us out of Iraq quickly, how many voters are going to stay home, assuming it's not even worth it to vote Democratic? How many will flock to the inevitable Nader candidacy? And hey, I remember 1968 -- how many voters may actually associate the less bellicose Democratic candidate with more war while believing, perhaps, that the Republican has a "secret plan" to end the war?

I hope it doesn't work out that way. But I think Rove thinks it will work out that way, and I'm not sure he's wrong.