Karl Rove is probably crapping his pants in rage over this news: the chief prosecutor in the trial of Saddam Hussein says that the court is encountering difficulties and may have to delay the announcement of the verdict. The original date set for the verdict was November 5th, a date clearly influenced (despite all the fervent denials) by the Bush administration, as it would turn the American news cycle pro-Bush and perhaps pro-Republican for two days just before the midterm elections.

In a perfect world, the verdict should not benefit Bush. It should remind people that Iraq is a disaster, that Saddam Hussein, even as the butcher that he was, was less bloody a despot in Iraq than Bush is turning out to be. And let’s face it, does anyone doubt what the verdict will be? It’s practically as formulaic as any Hollywood script could be, the mother of all anti-climaxes. But it’s a PR show piece, just as fake as the now-legendary toppling of Hussein’s statue, but also just as illogically influential on public opinion.

One has to wonder at the possible delay in the verdict: are the Iraqis responding to the criticisms that they are political puppets of the Bush administration and holding back the verdict as a way of showing that they run the show? Or is it simply yet another case of events in Iraq not running as the administration planned? It would certainly serve them right–if the Bush administration can’t make Iraq function correctly, why should they expect their political machinations there to work any more smoothly?

Meanwhile, the “liberal” media, instead of investigating the timing of the event, and instead of reporting on legitimate domestic concerns about the Bush administration’s hand in the timing of the verdict’s scheduled release, and instead of noting how time and again, the Bush White House has timed and orchestrated event after event in Iraq on a political calendar–instead of any of that, the press is highlighting a complaint by Saddam’s attorney that the timing of the verdict is political. Instead of paying attention to the compelling facts which lead one to the obvious conclusion that this is indeed all timed politically, the “liberal” media is branding that idea as one held prominently by Saddam Hussein–a decision that could not be better designed to make people disbelieve in what is clearly the truth.