Posted on 10/24/2005 6:09:15 AM PDT by tartnjuicy
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/358714p-305660c.html Prez's anger growing in hard times - pals
BY THOMAS M. DeFRANK DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
President Bush is facing specter of losing irreplaceable aide Karl Rove.
WASHINGTON - Facing the darkest days of his presidency, President Bush is frustrated, sometimes angry and even bitter, his associates say. With a seemingly uncontrollable insurgency in Iraq, the White House is bracing for the political fallout from a grim milestone that could come any day: the combat death of the 2,000th American G.I.
Last week alone, 23 military personnel were killed in Iraq, and five were wounded yesterday in a relentless series of attacks across the country.
This week could also bring a special prosecutor's decision that could shake the foundations of the Bush government.
The President's top political guru, Karl Rove, and Vice President Cheney's right-hand man, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, are at the center of a two-year criminal probe into the leak of a CIA agent's identity. Many Bush staffers believe indictments are likely.
"He's like the lion in winter," observed a political friend of Bush. "He's frustrated. He remains quite confident in the decisions he has made. But this is a guy who wanted to do big things in a second term. Given his nature, there's no way he'd be happy about the way things have gone."
Bush usually reserves his celebrated temper for senior aides because he knows they can take it. Lately, however, some junior staffers have also faced the boss' wrath.
"This is not some manager at McDonald's chewing out the help," said a source with close ties to the White House when told about these outbursts. "This is the President of the United States, and it's not a pleasant sight."
The specter of losing Rove, his only truly irreplaceable assistant, lies at the heart of Bush's distress. But a string of political reversals, including growing opposition to the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina's aftermath and Harriet Miers' bungled Supreme Court nomination, have also exacted a personal toll.
Presidential advisers and friends say Bush is a mass of contradictions: cheerful and serene, peevish and melancholy, occasionally lapsing into what he once derided as the "blame game." They describe him as beset but unbowed, convinced that history will vindicate the major decisions of his presidency even if they damage him and his party in the 2006 and 2008 elections.
At the same time, these sources say Bush, who has a long history of keeping staffers in their place, has lashed out at aides as his political woes have mounted.
"The President is just unhappy in general and casting blame all about," said one Bush insider. "Andy [Card, the chief of staff] gets his share. Karl gets his share. Even Cheney gets his share. And the press gets a big share."
The vice president remains Bush's most trusted political confidant. Even so, the Daily News has learned Bush has told associates Cheney was overly involved in intelligence issues in the runup to the Iraq war that have been seized on by Bush critics.
Bush is so dismayed that "the only person escaping blame is the President himself," said a sympathetic official, who delicately termed such self-exoneration "illogical."
A second senior Bush loyalist disagreed, saying Bush knows "some of these things are self-inflicted," like the Miers nomination, where Bush jettisoned contrary advice from his advisers and appointed his longtime personal lawyer.
"He must know that the way he did that, relying on his own judgment and instinct, was not good," another key adviser said.
Despite the turmoil, Bush is determined to soldier on, already preparing for two major overseas trips in November and helping shape next year's legislative agenda.
"I've got a job to do," he told reporters last week. "The American people expect me to do my job, and I'm going to."
Originally published on October 24, 2005
Notice all the wishful thinking.
I stopped there. Obviously, this article is a pack of lies.
("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")
LMAO. These idiots need to get out of their hotel rooms and do some real reporting in Iraq.
I'm surprised the author didn't add, "Other unnamed sources say Bush is chewing his nails to the quick, fretting over his pending impeachment."
If you saw what was happening with Fitzgerald as a result of being the "source" for reporters, would anyone at all remain a source?
I think not. I suspect reporters under deadline pressure are converting a moment of bumping into someone at a restaurant who tells them he or she will not be interviewed into a semi-imagined interview.
President Participates in Opening Ceremony for Air Force One Pavilion
President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan wave after touring the plane that served as Air Force One for President Ronald Reagan and six other Presidents from 1973-2001at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CalifornFriday, Oct. 21, 2005. White House photo by Eric Draper
He's back to drinking heavily, shooting heroin in the Oval Office and riding a bike without a helmet, no doubt.
All one has to do is watch Bushes face when he is on TV. He is indeed an enraged and bitter man.
Real Journalism:
http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/
Well, Tom DeFrank is a pretty good source. Usually. I have no idea if this story is accurate, or just some Bush staffers getting back at others, or idle gossip. But Bush can't be happy. What with the attracks coming from inside the GOP. I'd be PO'd too. I will go out on a limb and say I believe Libby will be indicted, but not Rove.
Yes, just whipping up their fantasies again...same old liberal hate-rant.
already posted at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1508050/posts
This is the "Don Regan" phase of the Bush administration.
A terrorist insurgency who could not prevent 10 million Iraqis from casting their vote on the Constitution on October 15th. Yep, the terrorist insurgency is powerful beyond belief (extreme sarcasm).
...out on a limb and say I believe Libby will be indicted, but not Rove.
------
Well, if it happens, the blood will hit the water and the liberal media wonks will start a feeding frenzy that will last for weeks if not months...
I'm sure I'm paraphrasing this, and I wish I could dig up the exact quote but during the Richards/Bush race in Texas, an advisor to the Richards camp said something to the effect: "Do NOT underestimate this man. To do so encourages your own demise."
Iraq's doing fine - and the ghouls who want to celebrate death will dishonor themselves, not Bush. Katrina is the fault of dems in NO, not the Bush Administration, and when Harriet steps aside and someone Republicans can love is put up, it'll be all sunshine.
Michael Yon is indeed a REAL journalist. I love his work, and read it daily for updates.
What crap! "losing irreplaceable aide"... junior high school journalism from very replaceable news sources.
Enough with these obvious hit pieces against our President and our country.
I can't imagine that the president is a happy man these days. Rove is extremely important to him. And wonders of all wonders, the president is a normal human being. He has moods, gets angry and blames other people. He's going through a period of adjustant of his "new normal" (assuming that Rove and Libby are indicted). He's got Laura and as he says "she's no shrinking violet." She'll help him during this painful transition and he'll be fine. He could even come back stronger. God has used this wise and strong man to guide our country thus far. He'll will continue to hold him in the palm of His hand.
it basically said.... nothing.. no examples, no quotes, gee I guess Bush is just sitting at his desk late at night, rubbing his temples, crying and saying to the ghost of Richard Nixon, " what have I done? What can possibly save me? What will my legacy be....??? I really, really, really care what the Washington Post and the New York Daily and the New York Times say when I'm gone."
I just hope we get another guy in that is "an idiot", "born again Christian", "conservative" , and has a "failed legacy".... As I've always said..."Liberals suck"......unless they blow of course...
Good Observation.
Of course, I say that because it is exactly what I've been thinking. Similar in so many ways.
Yeah, but the question is "professional" what?
I count at LEAST 11 "impeccable sources"
Impeccable source #1: his associates say
Impeccable source #2: a political friend of Bush
Impeccable source #3: some junior staffers
Impeccable source #4: said a source with close ties
Impeccable source #5: Presidential advisers and friends
Impeccable source #6: sources say
Impeccable source #7: one Bush insider
Impeccable source #8: associates
Impeccable source #9: a sympathetic official
Impeccable source #10: senior Bush loyalist
Impeccable source #11: another key adviser
He probably shouldn't have burned his base...
While the press was looking the other way, a war was contuiing in Iraq, . I may be totally wrong in this, but the new Iraqi security force is being brought up to speed a lot faster than were thelocal forces in Korea and Vietnam.
A Prediction - Sunday, October 23, 2005...
Official Washington buzzes with the prediction Karl Rove will be indicted this week. Now is a good time to buck the buzz and predict he will not.
Just from reading the verbose news reports one can gather that the chances of an indictment for Rove are minimal. For one, though the press reports that lawyers (unnamed) say he has been told he is in “serious” danger, this loose language is insufficient to conclude indictment is near.
I have yet to see it reported that Rove has been notified that he is a “target” of an investigation by the prosecutor, which according to the Justice Department guidelines is mandatory if he were in “serious” danger. Nor does it appear that he has even been notified that he falls into that far lesser category, namely, “subject” of an investigation. For another thing, the only problem with Rove’s grand jury testimony that we are aware of is that during one of his grand jury appearances he neglected to mention a meeting with a reporter. It is unlikely that this omission could constitute grounds for an indictment. Innocent failure to recall when not asked a specific question is not a crime. When Rove was asked specifically about the meeting he apparently acknowledged it.
Thus my guess is Rove goes free. Karl, take the week off and clean up your garage or head for the beach."
Sounds like DeFrank spent 10 minutes with David Gergen.
He didn't burn his base. His base is with him. A lot of loudmouths who came along for the ride (Kristol and the bow tied sissies come to mind) are making a lot of noise, but his base is with him.
The very picture of a modern day Nixon :-)
I hope that you're right.
The other possibility is that FitzPatrick could uncover the CIA's role in opposing this president during wartime. Somewhere I read that Joe DiGenova thought that was a real possibility. I would like to think that, but I'm not very optimistic. Wouldn't that be a pleasant surprise? I don't know much about FitPatrick, so I don't know if he's capable of doing that or not.
One day at a time.....This, too, shall pass.
Since when is Bill Kristol a Bush loyalist???
Even if this were true, what does President Bush expect? He should be bitter and angry because he has chosen to play "moderate". He's getting hammered from both sides.
Thanks for pointing that out--I would have missed the "strong" similarity, because I never liked Nixon. (I was a lib during his Presidency).
I still like Bush...How can this be???? Maybe for the reasons stated in my tagline.
Not when he supported McCain for president, for certain.
Hmmmmmmm....
Interesting analogy....
Makes ya wonder what Dubya would be like had he ever had a REAL job.
And to some extent LBJ. Live TV in an open setting always betrays a person of power that is not in control.
I would think that - given the fact he wished to restore integrity to the White House - if these allegations about Rove are true, the President must be feeling profoundly disappointed in his long-time friend. IMO that disappointment lives in his heart and the pain is because someone he trusted failed him. If the allegations are not true, he must be extremely frustrated because he is not free to refute them at this time.
He could have been angry and bitter from all the years of battering and obstruction from the Democrats, the RINOs, and the MSM.
But...surprisingly...he's held up very well.
Pray for President Bush - Day 1861
Pray for President Bush - Day 1860
Pray for President Bush - Day 1859
This item from the article represents a compelling reason why the media should never be trusted in any case.
Just look at the words that I've highlighted. The article attributes a statement to a "source with close ties to the White House," but this source doesn't really provide any information at all -- he simply reacts to information that has been presented to him.
That's not a "source" at all -- it's someone presenting an opinion that carries no more weight than mine.
That's not a "source" at all -- it's someone presenting an opinion that carries no more weight than mine.
Very true.
Well, at least we know Bush didn't turn out like that former manager at McDonald's, Terri Schindler's husband, Michael Schiavo.
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