Posted on 03/14/2006 1:57:06 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
WASHINGTON - President Bush tried to steady his presidency yesterday by urging Americans to support the Iraq war for the long haul, but a bigger boost for a limping White House may have come from a rogue Democrat. As promised, Bush launched another political offensive aimed at resurrecting his slumping agenda and rebuilding support for an increasingly unpopular war.
The four-week strategy, which he previously tried with some temporary success in December, began with a speech aimed at linking the war on terrorism to Iraq - this time without Bush uttering unfounded optimism.
"I wish I could tell you that the violence is waning and that the road ahead will be smooth," Bush admitted. "It will not. There will be more tough fighting and more days of struggle, and we will see more images of chaos and carnage in the days and months to come."
Bush's job approval rating dropped for a fourth straight week in the CNN/USA Today Gallup Poll, sinking to 36% support.
With those numbers, Bush's tactic might have been seen as an act of desperation, but Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) pulled the political stunt of the day by asking the Senate to censure Bush over the National Security Agency's domestic spying.
After Feingold made his pitch on the Senate floor, Senate GOP leader Bill Frist of Tennessee called his bluff and urged a vote.
Fearing a backlash, Democrats instantly blocked the vote, worried they would give back political gains made from Bush's recent blunder on the Dubai ports deal. They later tried to say they didn't abandon Feingold.
"What you are seeing is Democrats of every stripe coming forward to point out the dangerous incompetence of the Bush administration's policies," said Rebecca Kirszner, spokeswoman for the Senate Democratic war room.
Republicans were tickled by Feingold's maneuver. "If he wants to change the subject to this, we'd be happy to talk about it," said a senior Bush official.
Another top Bush aide who had predicted Democrats would do something to take the heat off Bush was gleeful over Feingold's move. "The saving grace for us is just how inept they are," he said.
"Give Russ a break."
Ok, how about right below his friggin' ears!?
LLS
no people are talkin
Feingold and Murtha are heroes on CNN. That's all that matters to them.
No kidding, that's all I heard about this morning. The libs are cutting their own throats.
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