There's no question that Arianna Huffington has been moved by PlameGate: the unblinking, watchful eye trained on Judy since the beginning; the über-prolific posting, the crescendo of finger-pointing toward the Bush administration as the whole sorry mess swirls faster and faster toward its inevitable conclusion -- well, girlfriend is clearly affected. But last night, she was moved to poetry, invoking the archetypical themes of Shakespeare's Macbeth in a sweeping rendering of PlameGate that had 76 commenters swooning.

Incredibly, this springs from the word "mojo" (Jim Morrison, whoda thunk?); Bush has lost his, and in the face of certain White House indictments and uncertain fallout, all he can do is "reluctantly accept" Harriet Miers' withdrawn nomination and dream big dreams of what he'll do in office while his closest cabal* of advisors is splintered. Arianna sees an impotent prez: "Bush is a cooked goose -- a much fouler fowl than a lame duck" (but still a picnic compared to an avian flu-infected chicken. I'm just sayin').**

To Arianna, this sense of hopelessness, "the moment...when we know that all is lost" makes her think of Macbeth. And this is where she starts to rock. Dubya's dark deed was leading the country into Iraq under false pretenses, deceiving the American public, derailing the war on terror, emptying our national coffers, setting up the bungling bureaucracy that would so mangle the response to Katrina. Looking ahead to a lame-duck/cooked-goose presidency, says Arianna, what seems more appropriate a sentiment than the ineffable weariness of tomorrows creeping in with their petty pace from day to day:

I imagine the mood in the Oval Office today is not dissimilar to that in Dunsinane Castle when a messenger arrives with news that (as prophesied by the three witches) the trees of Birnam Wood are advancing on Macbeth's castle, auguring his demise. The doomed king realizes that all is lost and, resigned, awaits his destiny. As Macbeth steeled himself for the arrival of the Birnam Wood, Bush must be steeling himself for the arrival of Fitzgerald's indictments.

Out, out, brief candle!

The casting is almost complete (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern? Any suggestions?) but for one pivotal role: "I am in no way suggesting that Laura is Lady Macbeth. I'm reserving that role for Dick Cheney, the instigator of W's darkest deeds, the carrier of all neocon obsessions, the power behind the throne who suffers none of the doubt or uncertainty that occasionally plague W" (although W. rarely seems troubled; 5-week vacations help with that). To Arianna, Cheney is the serpent 'neath the flower; poisonous and unrepentant. We all know what happened to Lady Macbeth within the walls of Dunsinane as MacDuff advanced; but don't expect Cheney to fall on his sword just yet, especially when Scooter is on hand to take the fall (Scooter and Rove as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? No, wait, Scooter and JUDY!!!).

It doesn't matter; MacDuff comes, lifts high his righteous sword, and we all know what happens next:

Exeunt.

Bush: Of Mojo and Macbeth [HuffPo]

Related, in song and spirit:
Double Trouble [Harry Potter]

Update: Alas, poor Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, I didn't know you well: A tipster informs that they're in Hamlet. You may or may not believe that I actually knew that and just thought it was funny to mention Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,no matter: point being, according to Tom Stoppard, they're dead. Which kind of changes everything.

*Favorite new PlameGate word!
**This isn't quite where Arianna segues into Macbeth but I am compelled to: "Fair is foul and foul is fair...." Or fowl. Whatever. The point is, the air is filthy. Thanks, oil-guzzling Texans!
***Wow, free-associating purple pseudo-Shakespearian prose is fun. Well, for me. Sorry, fair reader.