Doing the Musharraf shift.

The Bush administration begins to lay the groundwork for a shift away from Musharraf.

The Asia Times piece below talks about a shift to Bhutto.

This NYTimes is carrying the line that the US might be "reaching out to Pakistan’s generals."

Later: Bhutto is, at least, receiving the message of the US.

Bhutto said she tried to allay Washington's concern about what would happen to this nuclear-armed nation if Musharraf were forced out, saying she shared the Americans misgivings and that a strategy for an orderly transition was a must.

The Americans "worry about what would happen if there was not a smooth transition, and they worry about what would happen if Musharraf left and there would be a vacuum. So that is a concern, and a valid concern," she said. "I share that thought, too. In fact, once Gen. Musharraf agrees to go, we need to have an exit strategy. I think an exit strategy is very important."

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