Drudge has DiIulio's letter to Ron Suskind. It reinforces the notion that the only thing worse than bad publicity is no publicity at all. There are some cheap shots ("Mayberry Machiavellis" just makes DiIulio look like a self-appointed sophisticate chuckling at the philistines in the west wing) but the text is also full of high praise of Bush's intelligence, dedication, and honesty. And what of Karl Rove? Sounds like DiIulio truly likes him, personally at least. The rest of the stuff about Karl having so much power - we heard the same when Karen Hughes left, that Karl would become the new "gatekeeper." Presidents need gatekeepers, else (as DiIulio points out) they end up like Clinton: disorganized, ad hoc policymakers watching the polls and careening their message in an attempt to hook up with a perceived zeitgeist. I think, in the case of Bush's administration, when DiIulio says he sees only politics, what he really sees is discipline. When there is no discipline in the west wing for 8 (some would say 12) years, its appearance can be shocking.