Speculative scenarios, based on what we know at this point.

1. Bush ordered cheney and Libby to selectively release the NIE. The "Bush is a petty, vindictive hypocrite" scenario.

2. Cheney and Libby came to Bush with a plan to selectively release the NIE, and Bush approves. The "Bush is a delegatin' CEO president, and still a hypocrite" scenario.

3. Cheney and Libby tell Bush in an extremely vague way about selectively releasing the NIE, and Bush approves. The "Bush is clueless" scenario. This scenario involves all of the white House PR rodents scurrying around, trying to think up ways to get the public to cut Bush as much slack as they used to cut for Reagan.

4. Cheney and Libby came up with a plan to selectively release the NIE, and told Bush little or nothing about it. The "Bush is an empty figurehead" scenario.

Take your pick. None of 'em are what you would objectively call "good." We are definitely in "least bad" territory here.