There are times when Mr Tony Blair leaves us gasping in admiration. At other times it's more of a groan.
Admiration for The Great Leader was audible in the corridors of Westminster and Whitehall on Monday, as the Prime Minister exercised his power, exacted revenge, and left any who ever questioned it in no doubt as to where all authority lies in this New Labour government.
Remember the context. Back in July the British press had worked itself into a lather over an expected cabinet reshuffle deemed to be "imminent."
There is actually a case, by the way, for Mr Blair dispensing with this annual ritual, replacing it with a more managerial approach based on need as and when it arises. Vastly entertaining as it undoubtedly is for the media, the whole process can be needlessly cruel and destabilising for those involved, and is arguably disruptive of the business of good government.
However, Number 10's spin meisters offered no hint that this particular part of the British constitution was to be scrapped. And in time-honoured fashion various names appeared in the frame as candidates for certain promotion, demotion or summary dismissal.
Most conspicuous in all the speculation were the Health and Northern Ireland Secretaries. Frank Dobson, we were told, was Mr Blair's last hope of stopping Ken Livingstone's attempt to become Mayor of London. Mo Mowlam - widely deemed deserving of a break after two-and-a-half years in a gruelling post - was soon to get it, not least because David Trimble's Ulster Unionists were demanding her head.
Big Frank and Mighty Mo, however, had other plans. Mr Dobson made it clear that he did not want to be Mayor of London, had not discussed it with the Prime Minister, liked the job he was doing, thank you kindly, and expected to carry on doing it.
From Belfast, meanwhile, clearly authoritative word emerged that Dr Mowlam was furious that some in Mr Blair's circle were briefing against her. The failure to establish the power-sharing executive made July a particularly unsuitable time for her to go. It was perfectly understandable (and right) that Dr Mowlam would consider her departure at the behest of Mr Trimble poor reward for her investment in the peace process. However, there was also the strong suspicion that her real reluctance was rooted in Mr Blair's failure to find her a suitable alternative posting.
In any event, the point was that Dr Mowlam and Mr Dobson had spectacularly breached cabinet protocol, putting it up to the Prime Minister by making their dispositions public. And when the day of the reshuffle finally came, on July 28th, it appeared their gamble had paid off. As the press waited eagerly for the first signs of blood on the floor, Mr Blair announced only one cabinet change - and that enforced by Alun Michael's promised departure as Welsh Secretary.
Mr Blair's official spokesman scorned the press pack for having got it wrong. The Prime Minister had never planned radical cabinet surgery, he chortled.
If that was the case, the obvious question was why Number 10 had allowed the speculation to go so long, needlessly undermining the position of ministers who in fact were safe, and (presumably) damaging their relations with Number 10 in the process. In fact, we can now conclude, the speculation was right all along - it was just about the wrong reshuffle.
The first clues came during the Bournemouth conference. First there was Mr Blair's very obvious failure to risk a repeat of the previous year's great "Motivation". Then there was the whispered word that Mr Blair was putting no pressure whatsoever on Mr Dobson to stand for Mayor.
An ostensibly free agent, Mr Dobson then promptly announced his London candidacy, opening the door to the wider-than-expected shuffle which saw Dr Mowlam take the job she apparently had wanted after all. No, not in charge of a high-profile, big spending department - but as "cabinet enforcer" in charge of cross departmental co-ordination of government policies.
Oh yeah? Few watching Dr Mowlam the other night thought she carried much conviction either in her avowal that she was pleased with her new post, or that she was thrilled it was Peter Mandelson who was succeeding her.
"Blair shafted them, Mowlam and Dobson both," was the crude, but wholly admiring verdict, of one senior British commentator. "They were both determined to stay put and here they are, doing exactly what Tony wanted all along," said another. And from an insider the cool appraisal: "The lesson of all this is clear. You only defy your Prime Minister once and get away with it."
So Mr Blair's exercise of power has been awesome. As to the other big Labour story of the week? Maybe Labour activists are astounded that the leadership has abandoned the expected ballot in favour of an electoral college as the best means of stopping Mr Livingstone's mayoral attempt. After the Welsh example, they can hardly be totally surprised.
Yet again, the exercise of power is ruthless. But a classic "Old Labour" fix to enable another Old Labourite to stop "Red Ken"? And as an illustration of Mr Blair's commitment to pluralism, devolution and really trusting it to the people? That's another matter altogether.