Although the White House has already issued denials, The Washington Post is reporting that “Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, have signaled to the White House that they intend to step down even if President Bush is reelected, setting the stage for a substantial reshaping of the administration’s national security team that has remained unchanged through the September 2001 terrorist attacks, two wars and numerous other crises.”

Of course, it is to spend more quality time with their families, rather than because of any compunctions about how they are being used by the Administration for morally repugnant foreign policy ends. The debate about whether Powell in fact has any such compunctions (I am of the persuasion that he does, compromising his good soldiering and getting him in trouble with the Wolfowitz clique from early on; the only thing that saved him this long is that we’ve been at war and he takes his obligation to his commander-in-thief too seriously to sow more open seeds of discord in wartime) may be settled if he accepts the enormous advances he’ll undoubtedly be offered to write his “kiss-and-tell” memoirs soon after his departure rather than continuing to protect BushCo’s vested interests by waiting.

In any case, can you envision what foreign policy will be like under Condoleeza Rice, such a handmaiden of America’s most important interests that she has a supertanker named after her? On the other hand, Paul Wolfowitz is the other leading contender according to Beltway buzz, and Newt Gingrich is interpreted by some to be actively campaigning for the job as well. Thank heaven Bush’s reelection no longer looks like a shoo-in. Now go do something about it.