Taking It To The Blank

What's your take on the NYT pulling this shot of Gonzales' AG swearing-in ceremony from the file?

Does he ultimately look more credible or incredible next to O'Conner?  (And visually, how much is he "coming up short"  given the fact she's literally "upstage?") 

In putting Gonzales front and center, does it provide Bush some support in toning down the counterproductive harping of the far right?  (And, along those lines, is Gonzales primarily a decoy to flush out -- and, maybe begin to wear down -- the extremists on both sides?  Or, mostly the left side?)

Does the shot with Mom help establish the terms for another vacuous (flag, family, apple pie, up from the bootstraps, minority makes good) PR campaign?

Does the image accurately depict Bush sitting in the background and enjoying the mayhem, firmly entrenched in the stealth zone? 

What else are you reading here?

(Caption:  Alberto R. Gonzales being sworn in as attorney general earlier this year with President Bush, his mother, Maria Gonzales, and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Mr. Gonzales had been the White House counsel in Mr. Bush's first term, and before that a judge on the Texas Supreme Court.)

(image: Doug Mills/The New York Times.  July 6, 2004 at nyt.com)