A satisfyingly venemous profile on Karl Rove’s waning influence in the White House in today’s Times — but remember this is the Times, so the venom is very genteel and slow-acting.

But read the piece through to the end, especially if you’ve had a long hard day with rich and powerful people stepping all over you and leaving footprints.

The nuggets? Two choice bits to savor on the drive home:

Nugget #1:

“In a brief interview, Mr. Rove dismissed the notion that he was fatigued or had lost his touch.

“‘We’re all energized,’ Mr. Rove said. ‘Whether we’re on our game or not — I’m an idiot one day and a genius the next — that’s the way it is. You can’t pay attention to that.’”

Read that quote again — noting the way the thread just snips half way through the answer — and remember his point was to prove that he’s not punch-drunk and error-prone.

Nugget #2:

“Mr. Rove has assured worried Republicans that the party will endure just minor losses in the midterm elections.”

Again, just let yourself meander through that sentence again — he’s “assured” panicky Republicans that they will be defeated, but only in a small way.

Dangerous incompetence, indeed.