Posted on 05/20/2004 10:42:14 AM PDT by The_Victor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) asked fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill on Thursday to "keep the faith" as he sought to ease their jitters about Iraq (news - web sites) and his lowest approval ratings ever.
At a closed-door meeting described by some as a pep rally, Bush vowed to "stay the course" and do what is right for America, prompting lawmakers to shower him with ovations, Republicans said afterward. A top Democrat fired back by calling Bush incompetent.
"He asked us to keep the faith," Rep. Deborah Pryce of Ohio, a member of the Republican leadership, said as she emerged from the meeting. "We're all behind him."
At a news conference, House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said, "I believe the president's leadership in the actions taken in Iraq demonstrate he is incompetent in terms of knowledge, judgment and experience."
Bush's approval ratings have slipped to the mid-to-low 40 percent range, the lowest of his presidency. No recent president has been re-elected with such numbers this close to the November elections.
"The color code alert level has moved from yellow to orange," a senior Republican aide said. "There isn't panic, but there is considerable concern."
"We'll all be concerned until Election Day," Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, said 5 1/2 months before the nation votes. "But we remain confident. We believe in President Bush. He will win re-election."
Many Republicans offered such talk publicly this week even as some privately gave the White House advice on how Bush could best rebound -- from holding more news conferences, to coming out in support of a buyout of hard-pressed tobacco farmers, to better articulating his message on Iraq.
Bush intends to lay out in a major speech on Monday his strategy for handing sovereignty to Iraqis.
NO TALK OF POLLS
"We didn't talk about polls," Rep. David Hobson, an Ohio Republican, said after the meeting with Bush. "He believes in what he's doing and he will stay on course for his beliefs, no matter what the political cost is."
Lawmakers voiced frustration that good economic news in recent months has been drowned out by events in Iraq, from rising violence to the prisoner abuse scandal.
Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, a New York Republican, said Bush told lawmakers when they go home for the Memorial Day recess this weekend "tell your people the economy is going in the right direction."
Bush took no questions from lawmakers as he prepared them for the upcoming elections, underscored his intentions to "stay the course" in Iraq and thanked them for helping him get key bills through Congress the past 3 1/2 years.
"The overall thing he accomplished was it's clear to everybody in the room this guy is leading," said Rep. John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. "I've wanted this frankly for months, for the president to come up and talk to the troops himself."
Democrats hope a damaged Bush could undermine Republican efforts to retain control of the closely divided Senate and House of Representatives in the November elections.
Republicans argue they will prevail, noting congressional races are traditionally determined by state and local issues -- not presidential coattails.
Republicans say they are encouraged that Democratic White House challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) is essentially running about even with Bush when voters are asked who they want to be president.
"The good thing for us is that John Kerry is not catching on," said Rep. Ray LaHood, an Illinois Republican. House Republicans have become frustrated with some of their Republican colleagues in the Senate who they complain have failed to adequately stand up for Bush on TV talks shows. "What's been causing a lot of heartburn is that some of these Senate Republicans who get on these talking head shows aren't 100 percent aligned with the president or his agenda," said LaHood. "We need House members on these shows." (Additional reporting by Vicki Allen and Donna Smith)
While I'm glad the hand-wringers got a little morale boosting but my hope was that the Pubbies would emerge and declare they were going to do their best to break the DemoncRAT fillibuster over the energy bill before the Memorial Day recess.
I agree with the last statement about the panty-waist pubbies in the senate...we need fiery younger guys like Rick Santorum rather than old, political hasbeen like Orin Hatch...
"No talk of polls."
". . . believes in his convictions regardless of political consequences."
Do you mean we have a true, honest, proactive, decisive, moral, upstanding, caring, intelligent leader for President?
Seems to me like maybe we ought to re-elect him, yes?
To Pres. Bush: Get a hold of your army and get El Sadr out of 'power' and I'll try to keep the faith. I feel like Bush has gone weak over the blasting of the world media. I wish he would go back to not caring what they thought of him. He isn't winning any votes with the ABB crowd and he is losing votes with the ones who have backed him FOR his strength and resolve.
"What's been causing a lot of heartburn is that some of these Senate Republicans who get on these talking head shows aren't 100 percent aligned with the president or his agenda," said LaHood. "We need House members on these shows."
One of the senators who aren't "100% aligned with the President" is Arlen Spector, who just won a tough primary battle over Pat Toomey, with considerable help from the WH and Mr. Rove. Cry me a river.
Reuters.
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He is going to order marines to capture the butchers of Fallijuah, oops sorry about that the were butchered IAW with musselmen law.
He is going to say that all illegals and employers of illegals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, oops can't they work on his ranch.
He is going to stand for smaller government, oops, to big.
He is going to give us a more tax cuts, oops don't know if we can do that. He is going to open up anwar by presidential degree, oops caribou voting block, can't do that. Yada Yada Yada.
"What's been causing a lot of heartburn is that some of these Senate Republicans who get on these talking head shows aren't 100 percent aligned with the president or his agenda," said LaHood. "We need House members on these shows."
That would help if the media (CNNBS,CNBS,MSNBS,ABS,NBS, and CBS) would invite you guys. There idea of good Republican representation is Chuck Hagel and John McCain.
If President Bush would do something to protect our borders, his approval ratings amoung his base would go thru the roof and all wories about iraq would be forgotten.
I'm voting for Bush and everything, but these hackneyed phrases are getting REALLY old. Just like the old man in 92 -- "thousand points of light" . . . "kinder, gentler nation" . . .
Bush has got to start being more specific.
"He is going to open up anwar"
ANWR would have been opened if KERRY and his ilk didnt block it.
"If President Bush would do something to protect our borders, his approval ratings amoung his base would go thru the roof and all wories about iraq would be forgotten."
Well, that would certainly be a step in the right direction. But if he REALLY wanted to coast to reelection, he should, in addition to abandoning amnesty (in stages) for illegals, force congress to start exercising some spending restraint and get serious about FTR (Fundamental Tax Reform).
However, Karl Rove won't let him do any of the above, because they are too politically risky. Go figure.
And just what are the lilly-livered Republican cowards on Capitol Hill doing to help the President? Hmmmm...
The biggest Republican mouths on Capitol Hill are those of McCain and Hagel — not exactly friends of the President.
if McCain and hagel were demos and tried this stuff badmouthing a demo president all the time, they would have had their careers cut short by the democratic party. The GOP needs a serious housecleaning no matter what.
We're behind you, President Bush, and we'll see you win another four years... America can't survive a leftie in the White House at this point in history.
Senator McCain is deeply saddened.
Don't you think you should think through reading a Reuters headline before posting the headline.
Is keeping the faith the same as keeping the Fieth? My faith will be boosted when he starts cleaning house on some of these crazies.
Huh?
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