Dems keep Bush on the defensive

[lancdem]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&e=4&u=/ap/20040214/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

WASHINGTON - His poll numbers sagging and Democratic criticism unrelenting, President Bush has responded with abrupt turnabouts over the past 10 days on Iraq war intelligence, his own military service record and cooperation with a panel investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.
The White House initially declined to open up Bush's National Guard record, saying that lingering questions about his service during the Vietnam War were asked and answered when he ran for president. Then, late Friday, a two-inch stack of his military records were released with a thud.
When it became clear that some of the prewar intelligence on Iraq was flawed, Bush steadfastly defended his decision to go after Saddam Hussein. But when the controversy didn't die, the White House last week appointed a seven-member commission to study the issue.
Moreover, after months of wrangling with a panel set up to probe the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush agreed to meet privately with its commissioners. Although, he's declined to be questioned in public, Bush's move lifts a layer of secrecy that often surrounds decision-making in the Bush White House.