File under surprise, surprise, surprise:

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has handed in his resignation -- as President George W. Bush continues with what's shaping up as a major Cabinet reshuffle.

Officials say Powell has told his aides that he intends to leave once Bush settles on his successor.

...CNN reported that there is a lot of speculation that Condoleezza Rice will be offered Powell's position.

I dunno whether to call all these cabinet resignations something akin to rats leaving a...well, shit, the ship certainly isn't sinking, is it? Rats leaving a ship that's headed for really scary waters, perhaps. Or rats, maybe, that have been asked to fling themselves overboard to make room for other, bigger, more brutal, less humane rats, along with some pigs, some sprightly young elephants, a few vultures and a couple of skulking velociraptors.

Whichever, I'd like to think that this might be Powell's chance to redeem himself, blast the administration for which he never truly stood, but I doubt if that will be the case. More than likely he'll be handed a fat position with the Carlyle Group or General Dynamics or a Halliburton subsidiary and the secrets will go with him to his grave.

So long, sellout. Hope your reward is worth the buttfucking your name got over the last four years. Hope to Christ we're done with you.

And Condy as Secretary of State? Oh, fer fuck's sake, man.