Is Andy Card Moving Back to Mass. to Challenge Sen. Kennedy as We Predicted Two Weeks Ago?
      We reported two weeks ago that Andy Card would soon be leaving as Chief of Staff at the White House.
      Nevertheless, all the media expressed great surprise yesterday morning at the 8:30 a.m. announcement by Pres. Bush that Budget Director, Joshua Bolton, would be replacing Card who will probably be returning to Massachusetts.
      The national media naturally focused on what this meant to the President’s staff and how the sudden change would affect the nation.
      But our local newspaper, the Boston Globe, still didn’t realize it had a huge local story on its hands as to what Card will do when the transition takes place on Friday, April 14. It failed to notice that even the State House News Service reported early yesterday afternoon that the state’s highly partisan Democratic Chairman, Philip Johnston, who served with Card in the Legislature back in the 1970s, welcomed him back and said: “He has served the nation with great distinction. I hope his retirement from the federal government means he will be able to spend more time in his native state of Massachusetts.”
      The State House News Service then finished its afternoon story by noting that Card has always evaded questions about whether he intends to seek the Governor’s office at the State House.

If Card Runs for Office, It Should Be Against Sen. Kennedy with Peter Blute as Card’s Chief of Staff
      If Card runs for office, it should be against Sen. Kennedy as we reported two weeks ago.
      We first noted that the job of Governor was being sought by Kerry Healey.
      “Would Card wish to return here for an internecine fight in the Republican Party? Or might he see this as an excellent time to battle Ten Kennedy?
      “This raises the question of whether this might involve the sudden decision by Peter Blute.” After Blute announced that he was considering a run against Kennedy, he suddenly changed his mind and decided not to do so after all. Although his sudden reversal was inexplicable, it would change everything.
      Just think of the dream ticket of Andy Card and Peter Blute running for U.S. Senator with Peter Blute serving as Chief of State for Sen. Card!
      Although we wrote on Feb. 21 that we couldn’t hold back our enthusiasm for Peter Blute, we understood that he is “truly a moderate and would not excite many conservatives in other states, but he will be an excellent Senator from Massachusetts. We had not expected such a strong person to be challenging Kennedy.”
      When Democrats and Republicans in Massachusetts realize what these two moderates will do to Sen. Kennedy, it will be surreal to watch what transpires. On the Brit Hume show last night, they showed a clip of Pres. Bush talking with Sen. Kennedy. Since Brit was on vacation, they did not give a reason for the President talking with Kennedy, but it appears that Bush understands that Card will be running against Kennedy and he feels sorry for the aging, paunchy Senator.