President Bush had been urged by Republicans to shake things up at the White House to show he is being responsive to sagging poll numbers, but Andy Card?

Was this a bold move signaling a chastened, yet rejuvenated White House? No. Can I think of a better person to dump? Yes. How long am I going to do this impersonation of Donald Rumsfeld? Until you guess who I have in mind.

High and outside. Baseball fans are a forgiving bunch. In their honor, a song:

Fake me out at the ballgame.

Fake me out, I’m not proud.

Needles and pills fill talent voids

I don’t care if they’re all on steroids.

For it’s Ruth and Aaron they’re chasin’

If they’re not caught it’s a shame.

So it’s one, two, three hundred I’m out

at the old ballgame.

Feelin’ groovy. If you’re driving on studded tires today in Washington, you’re breaking the law. Deadline for removal was Friday. I’ve survived nine winters without those little metal road rippers. Maybe the government should offer rebates to drivers like me.

Whine cooler. Republicans in Olympia feel they were left out of the process in the last legislative session. Not invited to help craft bills at the beginning. Not taken seriously when offering amendments. Not given enough time to consider complex bills before casting votes. In short, the same complaints uttered by Democrats in Boise and in Congress.

Seems to me the parties have two choices: rein in their own excesses or stop whining.

He’s no Tony Soprano. American presidents have issued 2,550 vetoes and only 106 have been overridden. So when President Bush threatens to veto legislation, as he has recently with the Dubai Ports deal and pension reform, he is wielding a potentially formidable weapon.

Problem is, Bush has yet to issue a veto in more than five years in office. His dad strangled 44 bills in four years. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton slipped the shiv to 78 each. At some point, the president might want to whack some legislation just to show that he can.

Coe-conspirators. When I first moved to the Inland Northwest, I read three books to get a feel for the political and cultural landscape of the region: “Breaking Blue” and “The Good Rain,” both by Spokane native Timothy Egan, who writes for the New York Times, and “Son,” by Jack Olsen. The latter is getting a lot of buzz now that Kevin Coe’s possible release from prison is in the news.

I recommend them all.

“Breaking Blue” is an amazing tale of a sheriff – Tony Bamonte – who solved a 50-year-old murder case in Pend Oreille County by breaking an unwritten code of self-protection among law enforcement agencies.

“The Good Rain” is a historical tour of the Northwest, particularly Washington state. Egan’s personal narrative captures the important issues that have driven politics in this state, especially the environment.

“Son” tells the story of the South Hill rapist who terrorized the city between 1980 and 1981. Written in gritty, true-crime fashion, the book does a decent job of juxtaposing the genteel, provincial nature of the city with the sheer terror spread by one man. If you don’t quite understand the fascination with the Coe case, read this book.

Kao fun pun. So, the other day I’m leaning over to tie the laces on my 5-year-old daughter’s shoes, but my necktie keeps blocking my view. Frustrated, I pop the tip of the tie into my mouth. My daughter replies, “Look, Dad, you’re eating tie food.”