Posted on 06/12/2007 5:20:07 AM PDT by GFritsch
After a hero’s welcome in Albania, President Bush returned to Washington last night faced with a slew of domestic problems and the sober reality that his influence is fading rapidly at home.
His embattled Attorney-General, Alberto Gonzales, was facing a Democrat-led vote of no confidence; his plans for immigration reform are on the verge of collapse and there is growing conservative anger over his failure to pardon Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff. Libby was sentenced to 30 months last week in connection with the CIA leak scandal.
The no-confidence motion in Mr Gonzales was blocked by Republicans in the US Senate last night, and was considered little more than a political stunt by the Democrats. But the vote revealed how the issues of Mr Gonzales, immigration and Libby are all linked in one crucial respect: growing conservative disgust with Mr Bush who, on the domestic front at least, appears to have truly entered lame-duck status.
Despite deep antipathy among Republicans towards Mr Gonzales, viewed by many as an incompetent and politically disastrous Attorney-General, Mr Bush has made clear he has no intention of firing him.
But the reason for Mr Bush’s intransigence is not simply loyalty to an old friend. White House aides fear that getting a replacement confirmed in a Democrat-controlled Congress would be almost impossible without a formal investigation of the controversial firing of eight US government prosecutors. Democrats allege that the dismissals were politically motivated. Any inquiry would inevitably raise unwelcome questions about the role played by Karl Rove, Mr Bush’s chief adviser, in the sackings — hence the determination to hang on to Mr Gonzales.
Conservatives, deeply disaffected with Mr Bush over issues including soaring spending and a bungled war in Iraq, are in open revolt over the President’s push for immigration reform, his last, best hope for a major domestic political victory before he leaves office.
Last week the immigration Bill, which would give a path to citizenship for America’s 12 million illegal immigrants, failed to progress in the Senate after 38 of the chamber’s 48 Republicans — led by conservatives — voted against it.
With Mr Bush’s second-term attempts to reform the state pension system and rewrite the tax code doomed, he heads to Capitol Hill today for lunch with Republican senators, a last-ditch attempt to salvage his immigration plan. But conservative anger over the proposals is so intense that the odds are against the President prevailing.
“From his point of view, immigration is absolutely critical,” said Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the independent Brookings Institution. To lose this is to lose any chance of a real domestic accomplishment in the second term.” Meanwhile Mr Bush faces growing calls to pardon Libby. He has left the option open, but the Republican Right cannot understand why he defends Mr Gonzales and immigration reform so staunchly — but has said so little about Libby, who has become something of a hero among conservatives. “If the President can pardon 12 million illegal immigrants, he can pardon Scooter Libby,” said Victoria Toensing, an influen-tial Republican lawyer and former official in Ronald Reagan’s Justice Department.
Even in his weakened state, Mr Bush is still Commander-in-Chief and Democrats remain powerless — in the short term at least — to halt his Iraq “surge” strategy. But the war, which has claimed more than 3,500 US lives, continues to drain the lifeblood from his presidency. Last week the White House acknowledged that it could not renominate Peter Pace, his Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman because of opposition on Capitol Hill.
If General David Petraeus, the ground commander in Iraq, fails to deliver a sufficiently optimistic report to Congress in September, the Republican coalition on Capitol Hill that is sustaining Mr Bush’s war strategy will start to crumble.
I will say that I feel certain the Albanians were interested in our president's comments about how angry he was that the Immigration Deform Act has been trampled on by the American public.
It was a crash landing. As soon as AMNESTY is passed, the divorce will be final.
The best thing that President Bush has done on his tour of Eastern Europe and the Balkans was stand up for the independence of Kosovo, despite the threats of Serbia. The next best was to stand up for those countries themselves against the threats of Russia.
Even in his weakened state, Mr Bush is still Commander-in-Chief and Democrats remain powerless —
Bush won’t find it so friendly at home.
He will in my house. God bless W!
Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
“Even in his weakened state, Mr Bush is still Commander-in-Chief and Democrats remain powerless”
And Congress is even lower in the polls than Bush.
W should announce Scooter’s pardon first thing this morning.
President Bush will in my house too, God Bless W! Still my Hero!
That would be nice.
Mr. Bush is rushing to Congress with his immigration bill.
Why didnt he rush down there and tell them he fired the 8 Attorneys general because he could,because it was his right, because it was none of their damned business why he fired them and an investigation wouldnt change a damned thing, that it is within his Constitutional authority ,that Clinton did it with the whole bunch and not just 8,and that if they didnt like it they could kiss his ass.
I know I would have respected him for that.
I will second that. W! Still my Hero!
> President Bush will in my house too, God Bless W! Still my Hero!
Do you agree with this insane bill he’s pushing?
Even if the bill he signed takes away the sovereignty of the USA?
Do you really view the world that black and white?
It is not an issue of seeing the world as black and white. But the issue of sovereignty for the nation in which you live should be of prime importance, or so one would think.
Pols are selling us out for a few votes, to the point where being an American citizen has no real meaning. This doesn’t disturb you?
Try taking a trip outside the US and staying there if you like it. See what happens. If this is not accepted elsewhere, why on earth should we accept it?
It would behoove you not to assume so much...
But the issue of sovereignty for the nation in which you live should be of prime importance, or so one would think.
I love to preached at in righteous indignation but a online poster... makes my day.
You have made a vital mistake. You have read my post and decided that because I like Bush, I like this bill. No, I do not like this bill. But, I can disagree with the President on this issue and a few others... and still say that he would be welcome in my home.
Your entire post is wrong... Wrong in its assumptions and wrong in its conclusions.
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