[PhiKapMom]

We just lost one of the good Congressman to another Dem -- unbelieveable! He couldn't even take time to go down and campaign for Bonilla? If I was a Republican, I wouldn't count on this President for anything right now. He seems quite happy to have the Dims in control if you ask me and I was a long time supporter.

[dogbyte12]

I am sure he would have come if asked. The president's approval ratings aren't that great right now. It might have hurt more than helped if he came down. I believe the President would have been down there lickity split if Bonilla called him and requested it.

[trumandogz]

Bill Clinton was in S.A. over the weekend to campaign for Rodriguez but for some reason the President did not go to campaign for Bonilla.

I think a visit by the President to the district would have made a difference.

[CharlesWayneCT]

9:19pm:

Henry Bonilla Inc REP 29,869 45.38%
Ciro D. Rodriguez DEM 35,951 54.62%

[Diddle E. Squat]

This is a good example of why we should elect Giuliani as the GOP candidate in '08. There just aren't enough dedicated conservative voters to win without also drawing in independents, made worse when the oh so purist segment of conservatives sit at home at the drop of a hat. (Though I guess it is too early to know if this was the case here.)

Am waiting for the spam analysis to start of how Bonilla clearly must be a RINO and that we would have won if only a 'true conservative' had run on a platform of jailing every illegal alien, killing abortion doctors, and eliminating schools. Hence why they stayed home this year, to 'send a message' and 'teach a lesson'. Yeah, well the lesson taught was that the screaming blackmail-threatening 'purist' activists can rarely be counted on, other than perhaps driving up turnout on the other side. Every day it is a new excuse of why they can't support this candidate or that candidate or any GOP candidate.

I'm fed up with the kooks, the never-satisfied crowd, the ones who are always threatening to shoot a hole in the boat if they don't get 101% their way. Fine, let them sit at home, we'll win without them, and they seem to be increasingly comfortable with not having a voice at the table.

In this election environment it is going to take both charisma and trust to win for the incumbent party, too many uninspired voters stay at home or vote for change. In the Presidency we are the incumbent party, so it is going to take someone like Giuliani to actually inspire and win over voters beyond just the base.

[CutePuppy]

If I was a Republican, I wouldn't count on this President for anything right now.

Conversely, this President couldn't count on many Republicans in the Senate or the House, some of whom he helped elect on 2004, with a lot of his initiatives (like Social Security reform) or WOT. Whether they were inept, like Frist and Hastert, or just plain egomaniacs, like McCain, Hagel, Graham, Specter, just to name a few.

Yet, they still don't understand this and keep running from Bush and WOT, to their own peril in 2008 and beyond. Bubba survived because Dems hung tough around him and mounted endless attacks despite obvious malfeasance; some Congressional Republicans joined Dems and al-Media in attacking President let alone counter the attacks on CIC in time of war, even as he gave them every latitude in spending and other nonsense in bills. They took this latitude for weakness.

Not that Bush has not made mistakes - one of the biggest was/is his inability or willingness to communicate effectively and often and above or around the media - but he didn't get much support from his own in Congress.