As I said, I was reminded of Nixon and Watergate by the spectacle of underlings being tossed to the wolves to try and placate critics of The Boss. And by The Boss's defense of those sacrifices and attempts to shield them from harm. It speaks of an Administration that's getting damn worried about where the accusations and investigations might lead.

History never repeats itself in exact detail, but it does repeat in the broad strokes. Bush doesn't equal Nixon, but Bush is now traveling down the same road as Nixon, and resorting to some of the same tactics to put off the day of reckoning that they must be seeing on the horizon. Like Nixon and Mitchell, Bush and Rove must be hoping to survive until after the next election. Unfortunately, as Nixon's experience shows, that can only make the fall that much harder. Nixon's reputation would have been better served by losing the 1972 election and retiring quietly from the field. As it turned out, Nixon will forever be remembered as the President who was forced from office in disgrace after two years of stonewalling.

try Cheney as Nixon

I have to agree that Cheney comes across as the same arrogant, paranoid personality...but I wouldn't rely so much on personality. It's the deeds that are coming under a microscope now. Bush may be a congenial doofus, but that wouldn't shield him from the consequences of his actions.

perhaps you, too, need to use the mirror principle

I'll add my name to the list of people who think that your "mirror principle" is getting sooooo tired and lame. If you want to cling to it, then you'll have to hold up a mirror to your characterizations of Saddam Hussein, for example.