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.
It is evident in the second term that Bush has problems communiating his ideas to the public with or without the media, has there has been a change of speech writers in his team. It is important the 08 republican nominee has impeccable communication skills rather than just a 100% acu rating , this is necessary against a hostile media.
I was a big supporter until this last year even though doubts were creeping in earlier. Harriet Miers (sp) really started the downhill trend because she was such a bad choice. Now this Iraq Commission has done me in completely. I also don't particularly like his choice for Secretary of Defense Gates. He is starting to remind me of his Dad in 1992 and too many of his Dad's people are now around IMHO starting with Baker and now Gates.
He is not a communicator which is getting more obvious. When he nominated people, he didn't spend a lot of political capital to get them approved. Even when the House/Senate voted against or didn't consider his initiatives, he didn't call them up to take them to take them to task.
Milk toast describes what I see right now along with pandering to various groups, and I don't like it. Really got fed up with the Administration the night of the election and have been ever since.
People around here applaud when he gets sarcastic with the media but in the end, all the people see on the nightly news are clips of his sarcasm. Ignoring the media is not how to handle them IMO. Ronald Reagan was a master and all Republicans should learn from him how to handle the media IMO. I can truthfully say after supporting the man since 1994, I am extremely disappointed in him in the last year. We won in 2004 because we had a coherent message that resonated, and the President stood up -- since then, milk toast for the most part except when he gets mad at the media in press conferences. Appointing Baker to head this Iraq Commission was one of the dumber moves I have seen. He has left himself wide open to criticism time and time again because of lack of communication. In today's environment, communication is one of the most important tools a person can have and why students today need to learn how to write and speak.