“I voted for Bush twice. Now I just want him gone.”

[n2doc]

Thursday, October 26, 2006
Fed Up With Everybody

By BOB HERBERT

South Bend, Indiana

In the campaign headquarters of Representative Chris Chocola, a Republican running for re-election in Indiana’s bellwether Second Congressional District, there is a large photo of Ronald Reagan on the wall, but no picture of President Bush.

Mr. Bush, once such an asset for Republican candidates, has become a potentially devastating liability for campaigns like Mr. Chocola’s.

“He’s not as popular as he was,” the congressman said in an interview, “but I would say he’s still respected.”

Mr. Chocola is in big political trouble and he knows that President Bush is much more the cause than the solution. Any mention of the Bush administration tends to turn local Republicans as chilly as the dusting of lake-effect snow that fell over South Bend the other night.

Lucy McKee, a 40-year-old part-time supermarket clerk, told me, “I voted for Bush twice. Now I just want him gone.”

Mr. Bush has come into this northern Indiana district to raise money for the Chocola campaign but he has not been asked to appear with the congressman publicly to rally the dispirited troops.

“I don’t know that it would help me,” said Mr. Chocola. He candidly acknowledged that being seen as aligned with Mr. Bush “is not as much of a positive as it used to be.”

more:
http://wealthyfrenchman.blogspot.com/

Comment: This is another one of those "balanced" op eds where the dems "must" be slammed also. But I do wonder, if they had presented a united front against Bushco, would they still be perceived as "weak"? Or would the meme be "obstructionist?"

[smirkymonkey]

1. Chris Chocola, a/k/a Count Chocola??

He may be a dirty republican, but I love his cereal. ;)