Inside the Beltway. . . and Out

Insight magazine, sister publication to the conservative Washington Times, says the White House is bracing for impeachment over Bush's warrantless spying on U.S. citizens.

The magazine cites an Administration source as saying "A coalition in Congress is being formed to support impeachment." The article also quotes this source saying "Our arithmetic shows that a majority of the committee could vote against the president."

Remarkable -- in more ways than one.

It is remarkable that a right-wing magazine like Insight would run this story, since it is being picked up and circulated by blogs and others, and making people think about how Bush has violated the law with his secret spying program.

But it also is remarkable that the White House -- specifically Karl Rove -- would let this happen. Unless it's a roundabout way to pressure Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) and other Committee members not to dig too deeply during the hearings Specter has announced he will hold.

Maybe Rove and others in the White House are floating this to show Specter that impeachment may be an unintended consequence of his hearings. But that's too much conspiracy theory for me.