Bob Novak Playing enforcer for Busch Co- Again!

Some people just never learn, or they simply believe themselves to be untouchable .
Bob Novak is Exhibit A. Leaving aside the stomach-churning question of who'd want to touch Bob Novak voluntarily; its clear he believes himself above the law and any standards of journalistic decency. Rabid Rabbie clearly hasn't learned one damn thing from Plamegate (then again why should he? He hasn't done any time at the DC Hilton-at least not yet)
Bob "the Human Toad" Novak once again he uses his weekly column to play Karl Rove's legbreaker, and warn the increasingly disenchanted super-rich that used to make up W's base that they'd better get back in line or else.
The column starts deceptively. At first, it reads as though Novak is joining the growing chorus of Bush critics on the Right:

ASPEN, Colo. -- For two full days, George W. Bush was bashed. He was taken to
task on his handling of stem cell research, population control, the Iraq war
and, especially, Hurricane Katrina. The critics were no left-wing bloggers. They
were rich, mainly Republican and presumably Bush voters in the last two
presidential elections.

But then this IS Bob Novak we're talking about. And Novak isn't reporting on this bashing to make a political point about how deep the Doo-doo really is that W's in. Instead he's really expressing his sense of outrage and betrayal that is should come at an illuminati-esque private gathering of the mega-rich sponsored by a very wealthy investment banking firm:

The Bush-bashing occurred last weekend at the annual Aspen conference
sponsored by the New York investment firm Forstmann Little & Co. Over 200
invited guests, mostly prestigious, arrived Thursday night (many by private
aircraft) and stayed until Sunday morning for more than golf, hikes and gourmet
meals

Can't you almost see them putting on funny robes and singing a rousing chorus of The StoneCutter's Song?

Now even though this event was strictly off the record, it appears that Mr. (and i use the honorific only for lack of an alternative) Novak doesn't think that all promises of confidentiality are created equal (after all THIS one doesn't help the WH so what good is it?):

All discussions are off the record," admonished the conference's printed
schedule. Consequently, I will refrain from specifically quoting panelists and
audience members. But the admonition says nothing about personal
conversations outside the sessions. Nor do I feel inhibited in quoting myself.
Even if I am violating the spirit of secrecy rules, revealing criticism of Bush
by this elite group, and the paucity of defense for him, is valuable in
reflecting the president's parlous political condition

However despite his explanation as to why he breaking the rules, as you read further, it becomes clear that Novak isn't Reporting so much as informing on his fellow participants. He is reporting their private disloyalty to his superiors and doing it in a public way so they'll know they've been ratted out.

In the classic tradition of all tattle-tales, he of course, he invents his own version of events where he is perfectly virtuous protagonist beset by evil-doers:

...the first panel, on stem cell research, consisted solely of
scientists hostile to the Bush administration's position. In the absence of any
disagreement, I took the floor to suggest there are scientists and bioethicists
with dissenting views and that it was not productive to demean opposing views as
based on "religious dogma." The response was peeved criticism of my intervention
and certainly no support....
I felt constrained to argue against
implications that Hurricane Katrina should cause the president to rediscover
race and poverty. My comments again generated more criticism from the
audience and obvious exasperation by Charlie Rose. Indeed, after the closing
dinner Saturday night, the moderator made clear he was displeased by my
conduct.
{"See I stuck up for you Georgie but all them other kids said
Mean things about you, behind your back even"

And then Novak invents a conveniently anonymous silent majority who secretly agree with him but lack his manly courage to stand up and be counted:

But during a break, one of the president's closest friends -- who had
remained silent -- thanked me profusely for my comments. That set a pattern.
Throughout the next two days, men and women who were mute publicly thanked me
privately for speaking up. When I said nothing during one panel discussion, some
people asked me why I was silent

Quite the hero isn't He?

Our Man Bob wants the WH to know was fighting the good fight, while those other wishy-washy conservatives cowered in their Posh hotel rooms. But cowardly as the W supporters were; Bob wants you to know that the impudent curs, who dared Question the Great Man (by which of course Novak means Rove not W) were far more gutless when confronted with his awesomeness:

U.S. News & World Report disclosed this week, with apparent disdain,
that presidential adviser Karl Rove took time off from the Katrina relief effort to be at Aspen. He was needed as a counterweight

.
Because saving lives and reconstructing homes is all well and good, but confronting heresy and ideological impurity is far more important. Rove apparently agreed with that assessment (I wonder if Novak used the Bat-signal to summon him to the conference when he saw how badly it was going?0 Since he seemed to spend most of his time doing some very pointed Meme-making ; including a very nasty swipe at Cindy Sheehan-(she must be really pissing him off )

But Novak seem to want to make sure that Uncle Karl knows that even though all those other kids are acting nice now, they were being bad when he wasn't in the room.:

I settled in for serious fireworks, expecting Bush-bashers to assault his
alter ego at the conference's final session. However, direct confrontation with a senior aide must have been more difficult than a remote attack on the president.

But then Bob switches from tattletale to Scary Mode. He makes an unmistakable and very pointed threat to all the infidels at the conference:

It would be a shame if Rove returned to Washington without informing George W. Bush how erstwhile friends have turned against him.

About as subtle as a Mack Truck our Robbie Boy is, isn't he? In his eyes the WH has been the victim of an intolerable lese majesty, from the very people this WH cares most about, and he is taking it upon himself (or more likely taking orders from Uncle Karl) to warn the perpetrators that they've been noticed, named and identified, and they'd better hop quickly back in line or else
But let's never let it be said that the Douchebag of Liberty lacks a sense of humor. After all he was also able to write this in the column and not expire in a fit of evil cackling:

I do not see myself as a defender of the Bush presidency, and I am sure the White House does not regard me as such

Defender? Well perhaps not. Enforcer? Yep.