Bush retreats to ranch, readies to launch agenda

NY Times/timesargus ^ | January 1, 2006 | DAVID E. SANGER

[ncountylee]

CRAWFORD, Texas — For six days, President Bush has stayed in nearly complete isolation on his ranch here — just mountain-biking and brush-clearing, the White House insisted daily, and seeing only one visitor, his mother-in-law, Jenna Welch. He never even ventured into this little town of 600, not even to the cheeseburger joint that he often uses as a political tool to show that he is in touch with his neighbors.

But on New Year's Day, after a brief stop at an Army hospital in San Antonio to visit wounded soldiers, Bush is scheduled to return to the White House earlier than usual from his break and start a campaign to set the tone for 2006 and, perhaps, the remainder of his presidency.

As part of an ambitious strategy the White House has mapped out for the next four weeks, Bush has scheduled two major speeches — one on the economy on Friday in Chicago, another on Iraq — ahead of the State of the Union address, which is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 31. By the time he appears before Congress, Bush's aides are hoping, two of the immediate challenges the president faces — the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. and the permanent renewal of the Patriot Act — will be behind him.

[ohioWfan]

After a good night's sleep I read again your partial quotes of things I said, and your deliberate attempt to mislead people into thinking that I actually said those things to attack you (when I, in fact, was saying that those things were NOT true about you), and I wondered why I had bothered to continue trying to hold a discussion as you slipped off the deep end last night.

But then I thought more about it more, and realized that I was part of the prodding that pushed you off into anger, hurt and retaliation, and that, as a Christian, I should have known better. I should not have participated in the discussion once it left the issue at hand, because I was pulled down by it into sin.

No matter how badly you were behaving, I should have been mature enough to leave this whole thing alone, and I apologize for anything I said that hurt you. Please forgive me.

I'm truly sorry, and hope you're feeling better today. I began to worry last night that something was seriously wrong as you got angrier and angrier, and apologize for any part I had in it.

I will ALWAYS call people to account who make irresponsible personal attacks on President Bush, because I do believe in honest discussion, so you will continue to think of me as a 'cheerleader.' But I am just an honest, thinking, conservative, who recognizes the greatness of this President at a crucial time in our country's history, and I will always demand that those who post on this forum are honest in what they say about him.

Some of Bush's harsh critics are able to deal with those of us who hold them to account, and some are afraid (Principled, this is NOT.......I repeat NOT about you). Some, like Reagan Man, disguise their inability to defend their irresponsible comments when challenged, by immediate name-calling. And some, like Reagan Man, are egotistical enough to think that their own opinions against President Bush, no matter how lame, are 'facts.' And those of us who challenge their imaginary 'facts' are labeled and derided. Reagan Man has passed the point of being able to rationally discuss the President with anyone who respects him as a man and a leader.

Principled, for a while there, we were having a good discussion. I'm not sure what made you change, but at some point, I'd like to have another one of those discussions with you. I believe we are in agreement far more than disagreement. (I know you find it hard to believe, but I DO disagree with President Bush on several issues).

Sorry that this post is so long, but I didn't want to leave this thread on such a negative note.

If you made it to the end, thanks for reading.......