Hersh has written another story about how the Bushies may be getting ready to move on Iran.

How would that [the election results] affect policy toward Iran, which is believed to be on the verge of becoming a nuclear power? At that point, according to someone familiar with the discussion, Cheney began reminiscing about his job as a lineman, in the early nineteen-sixties, for a power company in Wyoming. Copper wire was expensive, and the linemen were instructed to return all unused pieces three feet or longer. No one wanted to deal with the paperwork that resulted, Cheney said, so he and his colleagues found a solution: putting “shorteners” on the wire—that is, cutting it into short pieces and tossing the leftovers at the end of the workday. If the Democrats won on November 7th, the Vice-President said, that victory would not stop the Administration from pursuing a military option with Iran. The White House would put “shorteners” on any legislative restrictions, Cheney said, and thus stop Congress from getting in its way.

Hersh then goes on to detail how Reagan and his crew did that with Congress during Iran Contra, leading to "other sources of funding".

We all know how well that turned out.

Does Iran even really have a secret bomb program? Will "Shooter" Dick Cheney continue to hold sway with Bush? Will the old guard/Condi position (the "pappy contingent) take precedence over the hawkish Cheney? Does Gates' nomination mean a swing in favor of diplomacy with Iran or is it simply window dressing to lend credibility to an attack? Could a 36 hour bombing campaign in Iran, while not eliminating nuclear capability, be used to "send a message" to Iran?

These are all questions asked by Hersh who doesn't have any answers. Neither do the sources he quotes. The picture that emerges is a government in disarray with everyone distrusting everyone else. And notably absent in all the machinations is any discussion of Bush himself, who is likely off watching football with the kids somewhere.

Our government is rudderless right now. The elections have weakened some hands and strengthened others. But no one yet knows which way the wind is really blowing. Much hope is being placed in the Hamilton/Baker commission, but they will not have any magic bullets and Bush may not even listen to them. In short, we're like a large ship in a very stormy sea without a rudder.