The Woodward Forecast?

Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack comes out next week and rumors have it being quite critical of the Bush administration. I'm not betting on it though, but we'll find out soon enough.

I am however quite interested in how the book leans for a different reason, forecasting. Woodward has come a long way from the renegade young report who was instrumental in uncovering the Watergate scandal. He is now the quintessential insider, as a reporter he has better access to the most powerful politicians then probably anyone. And that means he has a lot to lose.

When Woodward writes he needs to balance his journalistic instinct to uncover with his human instinct to protect the privileged access that gives him an advantage over all other reporters. And of course his personal friendships come into play too.

If Woodward comes out as highly critical of the Bush administration, he is in a sense placing a bet. A bet that they won't be in power by the end of the year. A bet that his privileged access to these individuals is not worth protecting, and perhaps better exchanged for access to the next round of fools with power...