WP Milbank: Bush Backers Fear Iraq's Political Effect

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51377-2003Sep9.html

As President Bush took a fundraising spin today through this famous electoral battleground state, his supporters here voiced worry that troubles in Iraq have hurt his political standing.

In the two days since he asked to double the amount of money being spent to pacify Iraq, Bush has sought to return to his normal routine, giving a pair of education speeches and speaking at three fundraisers Monday and today. But those Republican faithful attending Bush's fundraisers, while still confident of his reelection next year, said they had grown anxious about Iraq.

"This aftermath in Iraq is going to be tougher than we thought it was," said John Ellis, a real estate investor at a fundraiser here. Ellis also said he worried that Bush could "get blamed for the economic problems." Bush has not taken a question from reporters since Aug. 22. In those 18 days, escalating attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq led the administration to request another $87 billion and to reconsider its resistance to a United Nations force. Bush's Middle East peace plan has been tossed aside with the resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and a resumption of killings, including two suicide bombings in Israel today. Meanwhile, reports have shown the economy losing jobs and the 2004 federal deficit approaching $600 billion.

Bush aides said they are not worried about his standing. They said he is not purposefully avoiding difficult subjects, pointing out that the education events were scheduled before Sunday's Iraq speech and that Bush is likely to take questions from reporters as soon as Wednesday. And they argued that this is a natural trough. "If you look at the last three years, August always is a time when the coverage goes down," a senior aide said.

[kainah]

1. John Ellis? As in Ellis * cousin???

In any case, I'm glad to see that Dana is still out there. I think they intentionally burned him on the Powell-Joint Chiefs story in hopes that he would be intimidated.

[Skittles]

2. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

they care more about Boy George's "political standing" than dead soldiers and increasing Middle East instability. SICKENING.

[benfranklin1776]

5. Indeed. Their true color invariably shows through....

and it is green, not the lush green of God's natural creation, but the muted green of what they worship and exalt above all else which is the green of their true god, money. We the citizenry are viewed by this modern would-be "nobility"as nothing but lowly rabble to be used and fleeced for their benefit. Beyond that, our lives have little other intrinsic value to these people. Thus they care not a whit about the suffering of those sent to do their dirty work and who have their lives brutally ripped from them. Such is evident by the obscenity of their seeking to cut basic meager allotments that soldiers depend on such as imminent danger pay and education subsidies for children, veteran's benefits etc Their words betray them.

[PartyPooper]

3. These Republican Fat Cats make me sick!

They have no conscience, whatsoever! All they care about is their friggin' tax cuts! "F*** the rest of working America and the world!"...they don't give a s*** about anybody but themselves! As long as Junior gets re-Selected...well, then everything is just 'hunky dory' for them!

As far as I'm concerned, these @ssholes ought to pony up and pay all of the costs for the "war" themselves! And, all of their children should be recruited to "keep the peace". I wonder how many of them will sing the same tune if that happens.

:evilfrown:

[TacticalPeek]

4. Milbank is good.

"Bush arrived in Jacksonville after an Air Force One landing was aborted because the control tower spotted a police car near the runway. His entourage encountered a second surprise between events here as Bush's motorcade passed a motorist being detained at gunpoint for going the wrong way on the interstate as Bush approached. Bush foes rented a billboard near the event taunting Bush over jobless statistics -- "Three Million Jobs Since 2000 Lost by George W. Bush."


Pass the Jack, KKKarl.

[hadrons]

6. Bush could "get blamed for the economic problems."

could??? he largely is the cause of those problems and certainly not the solution

[dbt]

7. Suggested research topics for The Regime:

1. Johnson, Lyndon, "I will not run for a second term" TV speech.
2. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.

Common theme: the perils of ignoring the Albatross.

:evilgrin:
dbt