Josh Bolten's First 100 Days

After a nice long weekend, it's time to get back into the swing of things...

The AP reports that the White House is putting up every appearance of having a shake up without actually having one.

President Bush'’s new chief of staff said Monday it was time to "“refresh and re-energize the team,"” and he told senior White House aides who might be thinking about quitting this year to go ahead and leave now.

Taking charge in a time of crisis, with Bush'’s poll ratings at their lowest point ever and Republicans anxious about the November elections, Bolten laid down his pointed directive at his first meeting with top presidential aides.

He did not ask for anyone'’s resignation, and none of the senior aides stepped forward to say they would go, White House press secretary Scott McClellan reported later. But Bolten has BushÂ’s full authority to make changes to the president'’s staff, and McClellan said he would expect announcements soon.

Nevermind that Bolten himself is an administration insider and that 'no senior aides stepped forward to say they would go,' by allowing Scott McClellan to say that the New Chief used the standard 'if you want to leave, there's the door' this administration has put the media into a tizzy.

I don't know about you, but I've had a lot of coache say something akin to 'if you're not here to win, there's the door.' They don't actually say this to get people to leave, they say it to motivate you. The Shake-Up^tm is, like everything else coming out of the Bush White House, all hot air and posturing.

McClellan expects changes to come soon. I don't. And is anybody else concerned that the President has the authority to chose his or her cabinet level Secretaries, not his (unelected) Chief of Staff? Just more evidence that Bush is a hands off President, allowing Daddy's friends to do all the heavy lifting for him...

Josh Bolten George W. Bush White House Staff Shake Up