Special treatment for White House traitors?

President Bush is a loyal man. When he likes and trusts someone, it's difficult to get him to turn his back on them.

As a result, we are stuck with several in his circle who could and should be replaced. Donald Rumsfeld, for example, who has all the diplomatic skills of an irrascible old misanthrope and holds such a high opinion of himself that he can't think straight. And while he isn't a cabinet member and could only be removed through the nearly impossible process of impeachment, wouldn't it be nice to have a Vice President who is capable of sometimes seeing things not through the filter of a gung-ho corporate special interests cheerleader.

And now we have Carl Rove, Bush's strategist, seemingly behind the outing of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA agent. No, she wasn't in deep cover in Russia's security services, but she had connections in sensitive positions, and outing her pretty much outed them as well. Whoever did it (and I'm not asserting as a fact that it was Rove), is guilty of an act of treason on some level. If he did, then Bush has a problem in that he has already stated that if anyone in The White House is responsible, they will be fired.

But, like I said, Pres. Bush is a very loyal man and stands by his friends to the bitter end. If Carl Rove proves to be the snitch, and if it's determined that this act was a crime, will Pres. Bush do what needs to be one and what he said he would do?

Only time will tell.