MARK TAPSCOTT THINKS that Karl Rove’s usefulness has come to an end:

For the past two weeks, Congress has been roiled by a conservative revolt demanding that billions of dollars worth of pork barrel projects approved in the transportation appropriations bill earlier this year instead be used to pay for hurricane recovery on the Gulf coast.

Senate votes forced by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, and public attention generated by the Porkbusters campaign in the Blogosphere have exposed the hypocrisy of Congress and its putting Members’ selfish political interests ahead of the national and humanitarian interests.

That exposure creates a giant opportunity for the President to seize the political high ground and effectively challenge Congress to get back on track enacting needed reforms, starting with getting federal spending under control and making storm recovery a vivid national demonstration project of the power of individual choice.

But it’s an opportunity not taken. Instead, the White House goes on with mixed messages, a defensive crouch and hardly even a peep of protest when Senate Democrats manhandle the GOP “majority” into delaying Judge Alito’s Supreme Court confirming hearing to next year.

It seems clear now that Karl Rove is indeed preoccupied with defending himself in the Plamegate scandal and avoiding indictment by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. That means Rove can’t do what he has always done – keep Bush and the administration focused and moving forward on the basis of a coherent, aggressive political strategy.

I don’t know if he’s right, but I think that there are no essential people, only essential ideas. The Bush Administration seems short of the latter these days.