[Timm]

I hate to say it, but Steyn has two good points here:

(1): Bush erred in refusing to use his political capital to further domestic conservative issues. He caved in on the oil drilling, unionizing the airport workers, and education.

(2): Not attacking the self-loathing left mercilessly. Some discussions one shouldn't stay above...

Having said these things, I am afraid I think the Republicans in Congress are guilty of both of them as well. I don't know that Bush has some particular flaw. Republicans chronically refuse to get serious about attacking the Democrats. They persist in the delusion that if they're nice to the Democrats, if they help them up off of the floor instead of finishing them off, the Democrats will stop trying to cut their throats at every opportunity.

[mercy]

We oughta cast this in bronze, bolt it onto a large chunk of granite and give it to George for his epitaph.

[paul51]

Let' see. Either Steyn knows best or Bush knows best. I vote for Bush once again. Monday morning quarterbacks that don't have access to a fraction of the information or resources that the Pres. does don't cut it for me. Either Bush is the luckiest person I have ever seen or he knows what he is doing. If Steyn is so smart, he should run against Bush and make his case.

[ganesha]

With regards to the "staunch friend" comment, I think Bush has a tendency to go overboard with personal compliments when a foreign head of state does what he wants. The Arabs got pretty steamed when Bush said that Ariel Sharon was a "man of peace" after Sharon agreed to pull back from some area that the Israelis had occupied earlier. These compliments are not broad statements of character but an acknowledgement of cooperation on a specific point.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Brian Allen]

<< Symbolism matters. The White House is for business, the privilege of kicking loose at the ranch ought to be reserved for real friends. Yet Australia's John Howard, whose MEN fought alongside the United States in Afghanistan, didn't get an invite to Crawford, and the fellows who bankrolled [AND COMPRISED!] al-Qaida did. >>

What else to say?

[CWRWinger]

Bush had an opportunity to take out Arafat (and still does). This is confusing. He declares a war on terrorism then refuses to follow thru. In this respect, Bush is a double minded man. Steyn's article illustrates this accurately.

What's the point? IMO, the Republican party needs to select a fighting, consistent pro-Constitutional conservative to run for President. No more neo-cons.

[BlueNgold]

I'm going out on a limb here - nothing strange in that - but PERHAPS GWB learned something about the politics of war when Bush41 was in office. A quick strike overnight success yields only short term popularity. If - and this is a HUGE if - there is to be a political angle to his war-time popularity then we have already learned the hard way that the time to play that card is not in the first half. I firmly believe from previous experience and talk with friends still on the 'inside' that things are progressing at an orderly pace.

My take: the administration knows that some big fights are still on the horizon for the military, so further war-time popularity/political capital can be expected - and that they are going to wait for a later date to use any horsepower they may perceive. There are bigger fish to fry than the education bill.

[VaBthang4]

Wow...

As a BushBot I would have to disagree with the normally salient Steyn.

His points are understood well enough and I think pushing harder on the judicary should've and still should be done...

-But-

The President doesnt give ques to the American people. Liberals do that.

The President is a member of the American people. He does what he does and life goes on...he doesnt micromanage, he doesnt lose alot of sleep pondering if the sky will fall if he missed something...

He is a relaxed, more faithful Man...as things shake out after the November elections...all of the administrative things will be worked out in short order...too waste energy fighting the Libs when he can wait a year and let the Republican majority handle the business would've been a bad move.

It would've given the Liberals a voice...

No...the President is waiting for the November sweep...then all of the things [save cultural] will get handled.

As far as taking on the cultural issues....no, that isnt the Presidents job. We will work those things out ourselves...I dont need the President going out of his way to point out the stupidity of Liberal/effeminate thought.

As time moves on...those things will play themselves out.

To do what Steyn says is to do what Liberals would've done...

Liberals would've done it because they lack the confidence in knowing that those things will take care of themselves.

GW obviously has that confidence.

Relax Mark. You cant turn an aircraft carrier on a dime...and if you try to...you will only make things worse...you wanna roll?

Then roll with it.

[jjm2111]

The incredible momentum the president had after 9-11 is gone.

All the reserves should have been recalled, and the economy should have been put on a war footing. Congress should have declared war (saying "We're serious") this time.

It's been a year already. We should have many more troops in Afghanistan to root out remaining Al Qaeda and Taliban. They're just hiding in the mountains while we have 250 specops guys in Kabul.

Unbelievable.

[Reagan Man]

>>>And, in political terms, he might as well have spent this summer playing golf and watching the director's cut of Austin Powers.

What's up with Steyn? This article proves, he is out of touch with reality and his ignorance of American politics is astounding!

[beckett]

Steyn, the best columnist in the world today, makes some good points, but in general overstates his case. I think he just wants to gets W's attention and remind him of some fundamentals, and in that I think he's succeeded.