Why torture yourself, Mr. President?

Robert Novak has a remarkable column in this morning's Post about President Bush's determination to keep AG Gonzales in his job, despite mounting evidence that Gonzales is a)incompetent; b)widely disliked and disrespected in Washington and c)a growing liability to the reputation of the Republican Party. Holding onto Gonzales, Novak says, demonstrates how much President Bush dislikes his partners in the running of the country. "Bush, never entranced with life in Washington, detests dealing with a Democratic Congress. Reflecting annoyance and fatigue, he is unwilling to withstand incessant attacks from the likes of Reid and is ready to fight it out for the over 20 months left in his term." Furthermore, the President also detests the atmosphere in which he is forced to toil each day in Washington. Evidently no one around him likes AG Gonzales, so the President has concluded that this is nothing more than the high-and-mighty fancy-pants superciliousness of the Smart set from places like Hahvad square. Novak comments, "such derision for Gonzales is viewed by Bush as the arrogance of Washington, and he seems determined not to appease that mind-set. For now at least, the president refuses to yield on the grounds that Gonzales -- whatever his shortcomings -- broke no laws."

If the President so hates his colleagues in the running of the country, SO despises Washington and the creatures in it that just won't acknowledge the genius of his appointments, what is keeping him in our nation's craven, arrogant, demeaning-of-good-folks capital? Does he hate all of us out here, too? Why is he sticking around--does he love riding on Air Force One, maybe? Why doesn't he just take a hike down to Texas and put down this dreadful burden, so that the country would have a chance of moving forward?!

Heck, I'd chip in for a new, updated set of brush-clearing equipment.