Bush caught between Repub prejudice & Dem opportunists (Froomkin)

[kpete]

When the Trust Is Gone

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2006; 1:36 PM

With President Bush's credibility damaged and his political clout eroded, maybe it was just a matter of time before "trust me" didn't hack it anymore -- even with his most loyal supporters in Congress.

Today, Bush faces a significant political test ever over a sleeper issue

Suddenly, it's Bush who is on the receiving end of scathing critiques that he is weak on terror and oblivious to post-9/11 realities.

The issue also revisits the touchy matter of his administration's competence. It echoes the ongoing sensitivity about the separation of powers and lack of congressional oversight. And when it comes to gut-level politics, Bush finds himself caught in the pincers between Republican prejudice and Democratic opportunism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

[mzmolly]

1. Proud "opportunist" here.

"Carpe diem!!!!"

[bryant69]

2. Yeah - it feels a little like we just jumped on the back of a tiger

This issue could go a lot of different ways and a few of them would hurt us pretty bad. Most of them will hurt Bush though - so probably worth the risk.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Cha]

3. YEAH! Opportunity to save our

Country! What a concept Freakin' froomkin.

[iconoclastNYC]

4. I'm prejucided for SECURITY

[kenny blankenship]

5. I'm mainly seeking clarification

either we are at war, as the President has said, and it's a long war with terrorist networks from the Islamic world, sometimes acting against us with informal help from government officials in their part of the world, in which case we need to take care to plug up all the holes through which they can come in, or...
Or else there is no war, and in that case there is no urgent need for a new stricter regime of security--but in that case, George W. Bush has been lying and needs to be removed immediately to stand trial for usurping powers the Constitution does not grant to him.

He really cannot have it both ways. Even in peacetime I can see no acceptable reason why operation of the ports of the United States should be auctioned off to foreign companies, let alone royal monopolies as in this case.

[mzmolly]

6. Bush said "We will not distinguish between terrorists and those that

*harbor* them" no pun intended. ;)

Though now it would appear "distinguish" is what he's asking from Americans - no?