What was their first clue?

In Wednesday's White House Watch, Dan Froomkin notes:

And on the Chris Matthews Show recently, conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks let the secret slip out: "You got to remember a lot of Republicans hate Bush," he told Matthews. "They think Bush is incompetent and is destroying their party. . . .

"I was just up in New Hampshire. The questions were -- the questions, 'We've got a draft dodger in the White House.' These were Republicans talking about a Republican. 'We've got to restore some honesty to the White House.' Republican talking about a Republican president. The atmosphere in the Republican Party is not pro-Bush."

Wow.

You know what: none of that is new. He's always been a draft dodger. That didn't just come up; it was known - widely known - before the 2000 election. And the honesty? For crying out loud, his lying - oh, of course, for the Greater Good™ - has been pretty obvious for at least four or five years, and glaringly so for three.

And the GOP has just noticed?

Well, better late than never, I guess.