There that huge Paper-wasp nest was just hanging there, minding it's own business, and ... whack!
Last thing I heard was screaming and hollering as the whole right side of the aisle ran for the lake. ;)
Mehlman said he believes the public will perceive the situation that way, and there won't be any political fallout from the controversy.
``I don't think people are going to blame the president or people that did what they think the right thing to do in this case is,'' said Mehlman, the former Bush-Cheney '04 campaign manager, who was chosen by Bush as Republican National Committee chairman. ``I think leaders who act on principle will be respected by the public.''
Mehlman made his comments in an interview with the Tribune in response to questions about polls showing a majority of Americans - even those who call themselves born-again Christians - disagree with government attempts to reinsert Schiavo's feeding tube.
A Time magazine poll published Monday showed Bush's overall approval rating dropping to 48 percent. Also, 75 percent of respondents said it was wrong for Congress to intervene in the Schiavo case, and 70 percent said it was wrong for the president to do so.
Of those identifying themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians, 53 percent agreed with the decision to remove Schiavo's feeding tube.
The results were similar to others that have shown Bush's job approval rating edging down below half recently.
Most polls also have shown majorities of 65 percent to 80 percent oppose involvement in the Schiavo case by the president and Congress.
But Mehlman refused to discuss possible political implications. ``This is about a very difficult situation a family went through. It's not about politics,'' he said. ``The president's position and the position of most members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, was not based on politics - it was based on principle.''
Mehlman disavowed any knowledge of a memo circulated to Republican senators and leaked to the media last week that speculated on the political benefits Republicans could glean from the issue, naming Democratic Florida Sen. Bill Nelson as a potential target.
Mehlman is in Florida for a town hall meeting in Orlando this morning and two local party fundraising dinners. One of his main subjects will be Bush's proposal to overhaul Social Security by letting younger workers put some of their taxes into private retirement accounts.
That proposal also has had rough political sailing recently, and polls look unfavorable for Bush on the issue as well. Majorities say they disapprove of his handling of Social Security.
But Mehlman said those same polls also show the public generally favors personal accounts in Social Security, and said Bush has succeeded in bringing the issue to the forefront.
``What I see is a president that has had significant success,'' he said. ``Four months ago this issue was barely a blip on the radar screen. It's now the No. 1 issue'' in most people's minds, he said.
``What you have is a president that by being a strong leader and by taking on a tough issue has helped inform the public,'' he said.
Some experts say the public's disagreement won't hurt the Republicans politically.
``The 2006 election is a long way away,'' and voter memories are short, said Scott Paine, a University of Tampa political scientist. ``If you are going to take these risks, now is the time to take them.''
Among conservative Christian voters, Paine said, ``Taking political heat from a majority of Americans about the Schiavo case burnishes [Republican] credentials.''
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