The Unbelievable Karl Rove

"'I'm going to have an interesting time because the Government Reform Committee has jurisdiction over everything,' Waxman said Friday, three days after his party's capture of Congress put him in line to chair the panel. 'The most difficult thing will be to pick and choose.'"

Ronald Brownstein writes for the Los Angeles Times: "Notwithstanding occasional dissent, the GOP Congress saw itself as a supporting member of the White House team, almost as if both were part of a parliamentary system. In that role, Capitol Hill Republicans allowed Bush to set the national agenda and minimized congressional oversight that might have embarrassed the administration. . . .

""[Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid anticipates more aggressive congressional oversight, starting with Iraq. Outgoing Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), a close White House ally, slow-walked a promised investigation into whether intelligence data supported the administration's prewar public claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Roberts also structured the inquiry in ways that constrained the danger to Bush; most important, the committee did not compel senior administration officials to answer questions under oath.

"Now Reid expects John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), who will head the Senate Intelligence Committee, to briskly conclude a comprehensive study. 'I think not only as part of good government, but as part of history, that investigation should be completed,' he says."

Iraq Watch

Bush, Cheney and national security adviser Steve Hadley met with members of the Iraq Study Group this morning.

Michael Abramowitz and Thomas E. Ricks write in The Washington Post: "Those familiar with the panel's work predict that the ultimate recommendations will not appear novel and that there are few, if any, good options left facing the country. Many of the ideas reportedly being considered -- more aggressive regional diplomacy with Syria and Iran, greater emphasis on training Iraqi troops, or focusing on a new political deal between warring Shiites and Sunni -- have either been tried or have limited chances of success, in the view of many experts on Iraq."

Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Mark Mazzetti write in the New York Times that Democrats have declared that "a phased redeployment of troops would be their top priority when the new Congress convenes in January. . . .

"The White House signaled a willingness to listen to the Democrats' proposals, with Joshua B. Bolten, the chief of staff, saying in two television appearances that the president was open to 'fresh ideas' and a 'fresh look.' But Mr. Bolten said he could not envision the White House signing on to a plan setting a timetable for the withdrawal of troops.

"'You know, we're willing to talk about anything,' he said on 'This Week.' 'I don't think we're going to be receptive to the notion there's a fixed timetable at which we automatically pull out, because that could be a true disaster for the Iraqi people. . . .

"Dan Bartlett, counselor to Mr. Bush, said on Fox News that the president had directed the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Peter Pace, to assess strategy in Iraq and would be open to listening to 'good suggestions,' regardless of where they came from.

"But Dana Perino, the deputy White House press secretary, said in an interview that Mr. Bush remained adamant that decisions about how to deploy troops would be made by military commanders in Iraq.

"'That didn't change overnight on November 7,' Ms. Perino said."