Here's proof that they went to the hospital at Bush's orders: if he didn't approve before the fact, they would have been fired immediately, maybe roughed up a bit in the press, and potentially indicted. This would have been the most insubordinate action of any * loyalist ever. Unthinkable that one could do this and survive with this president.

Proof of that is the standards for the rarely, if ever, firings of the US Attorneys. They were shown the door simply on the basis of not prosecuting enough voter fraud cases, that elusive, 8 federal conviction a year so-called crime.

I wish the press had followed up on that by asking,

Q: "You didn't fire either Gonzales or Card. That's a fact. It follows that either a) you allow massive insubordination by your closest aids or b) you approved of the plan before hand. Which is it?"

*: "Well, uh , ah, I'm not gonna answer that question."

Q: "So we can assume that you run a tight ship, have zero tolerance for the commission of illegal acts in your name by misrepresenting your authority, and therefore believe that, by not firing them, you were behind this entire reprehensible scheme."

These are wordy and not such great questions but the logic is there. They could have done their job and a big favor for the country by cornering him on this.

Of course he approved of it. It's implied in the entire affair, explicitly implied by the comments of Comey and by the entire "tough manager, demands total loyalty, nobody screws him" history.

He should be shown the door, soon. Thanks for bringing this up.