Photograph: Alex Wong/GettyJames Baker is in the middle of his own double act full of chutzpah. Not only is he plugging his new book - Work Hard, Study And Keep Out Of Politics, an account of a long career in politics - this most skilled of political operatives is also chairing a blue-ribbon panel that is expected to recommend a change of course in Iraq.
Mr Baker's recent TV appearances included one on Jon Stewart's Daily Show, an entertaining mix of politics and comedy, where he said there would probably be some things in the bipartisan group's report that the administration might not like.
The reappearance of the redoubtable Mr Baker, who served under three presidents, is irresistible fodder to political commentators. The syndicated columnists Steve and Cokie Roberts, like others, delve into the Freudian dynamics between Bush the elder and Bush the younger (referred to sometimes as 41 and 43) over Iraq, which boil down to this: The elder Bush thought the Iraq war was a bad idea but kept his mouth shut through family loyalty. Some of the elder Bush's coterie, however, were not so discreet, such as Brent Scowcroft.
Hammer of the Blogs has no truck with the elder Bush for staying mum.
"Does anybody seriously believe that family loyalty should trump loyalty to country? More directly, if your own administration proactively established a firm policy which is now being recklessly and aggressively countermanded, with predictably disastrous results for the country and the world, and no end in sight, isn't it despicably irresponsible to continuously pretend that your belligerent halfwit of a son actually knows what he's doing?"
While the Roberts's praise Mr Baker's political acumen, they wonder whether the Bush currently in the White House will listen. Of course, Mr Bush owes Mr Baker big-time as the latter led the legal team that help clinch the contested Florida vote in the 2000 presidential race.
In a column on Antiwar.com, the veteran political reporter Jim Lobe contrasts Mr Baker's willingness to talk to "America's enemies", such as Syria, with Dick Cheney's "We don't negotiate with evil; we defeat it" approach.
We won't know for sure what Mr Baker's Iraq Study Group panel will say until it makes public its recommendations early next year - although the Iraqi prime minister is nervous about being ditched.
But if President Bush wants political cover to announce a change of policy (let's not forget he told Bob Woodward: "I will not withdraw even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me"), then the Baker panel will provide the perfect opportunity. Mr Bush will just have to ride out the barbs that it is his father acting through Mr Baker who finally told him to come to his senses.
