[Kevin Curry]

Good post. Bush has walked this tightrope about as well and carefully as it can be walked. He is striving for overall strategic success within a befuddling mix of tactical wins, losses, and draws.

There are tactical losses and draws that annoy me enormously, from the Patriot Act, to CFR, to assault weapons restrictions. But I have also seen this President jettison the infernal Kyoto accords, deep-six the ICC, and take a stand against the racism of affirmative action. And he prosecuted the war with Iraq brilliantly, straight-up, and in the face of every two bit leftist and defeatist that currently draws breath.

Overall, we're making progress, tacking against a socialist wind that the Democrats had almost sixty years to stoke to Hurricane velocity.

[Long Cut]

Like I said, I'm willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt on a LOT of issues based upon his performance to date. To put it another way, I respect and trust my Commander-In-chief to do the right thing, which I could NOT say of the prior occupant of that position. I doubt that I could say it about the alternative to this one, too. This drives a great deal of my thinking. Also, it is incumbent upon me to support the chain of command of which I am a part.

I also understand completely how such an issue could place him in an untenable position. For those at the very top of the descision-making process, things are SELDOM as cut-and-dry as they are to anonymous posters on Internet sites.

[ApesForEvolution]

If Bush/his advisors were truly that bright, they would simply allow the sunset on this HORRIBLE legislation to occur. Even taking it on is suicidal to his re-election viability and subsequently our nation.