[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help] 

Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

The Empire Has Accidentally Caused The Rebirth Of Real Counterculture In The West

Workers install 'Alligator Alcatraz' sign for Florida immigration detention center

The Biggest Financial Collapse in China’s History Is Here, More Terrifying Than Evergrande!

Lightning

Cash Jordan NYC Courthouse EMPTIED... ICE Deports 'Entire Building

Trump Sparks Domestic Labor Renaissance: Native-Born Workers Surge To Record High As Foreign-Born Plunge

Mister Roberts (1965)

WE BROKE HIM!! [Early weekend BS/nonsense thread]

I'm going to send DOGE after Elon." -Trump

This is the America I grew up in. We need to bring it back

MD State Employee may get Arrested by Sheriff for reporting an Illegal Alien to ICE

RFK Jr: DTaP vaccine was found to have link to Autism

FBI Agents found that the Chinese manufactured fake driver’s licenses and shipped them to the U.S. to help Biden...

Love & Real Estate: China’s new romance scam

Huge Democrat shift against Israel stuns CNN

McCarthy Was Right. They Lied About Everything.

How Romans Built Domes

My 7 day suspension on X was lifted today.

They Just Revealed EVERYTHING... [Project 2029]

Trump ACCUSED Of MASS EXECUTING Illegals By DUMPING Them In The Ocean

The Siege (1998)

Trump Admin To BAN Pride Rainbow Crosswalks, DoT Orders ALL Distractions REMOVED

Elon Musk Backing Thomas Massie Against Trump-AIPAC Challenger

Skateboarding Dog

Israel's Plans for Jordan

Daily Vitamin D Supplementation Slows Cellular Aging:

Hepatitis E Virus in Pork

Hospital Executives Arrested After Nurse Convicted of Killing Seven Newborns, Trying to Kill Eight More

The Explosion of Jewish Fatigue Syndrome

Tucker Carlson: RFK Jr's Mission to End Skyrocketing Autism, Declassifying Kennedy Files


Editorial
See other Editorial Articles

Title: Bush Regains His Footing (BRODER)
Source: Washington Post
URL Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy ... 007/02/15/AR2007021501271.html
Published: Feb 16, 2007
Author: David Broder
Post Date: 2007-02-16 14:09:32 by aristeides
Keywords: None
Views: 127
Comments: 12

Bush Regains His Footing

By David S. Broder
Friday, February 16, 2007; Page A23

It may seem perverse to suggest that, at the very moment the House of Representatives is repudiating his policy in Iraq, President Bush is poised for a political comeback. But don't be astonished if that is the case.

Like President Bill Clinton after the Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994, Bush has gone through a period of wrenching adjustment to his reduced status. But just as Clinton did in the winter of 1995, Bush now shows signs of renewed energy and is regaining the initiative on several fronts.

More important, he is demonstrating political smarts that even his critics have to acknowledge.

His reaction to the planned House vote opposing the increase he ordered in U.S. troops deployed to Iraq illustrates the point.

When Bush faced reporters on Wednesday morning, he knew that virtually all those in the Democratic majority would be joined by a significant minority of Republicans in voting today to decry the "surge" strategy.

He did three things to diminish the impact of that impending defeat.

First, he argued that the House was at odds with the Senate, which had within the past month unanimously confirmed Gen. David H. Petraeus as the new commander in Iraq -- the man Bush said was the author of the surge strategy and the man who could make it work. Bush has made Petraeus his blocking back in this debate -- replacing Vice President Cheney, whose credibility is much lower.

Second, he minimized the stakes in the House debate by endorsing the good motives of his critics, rejecting the notion that their actions would damage U.S. troops' morale or embolden the enemy -- all by way of saying that the House vote was no big deal.

And third, by contrasting today's vote on a nonbinding resolution with the pending vote on funding the war in Iraq, he shifted the battleground to a fight he is likely to win -- and put the Democrats on the defensive. Much of their own core constituency wants them to go beyond nonbinding resolutions and use the power of the purse to force Bush to reduce the American commitment in Iraq.

But congressional Democrats are leery of seeming to withhold resources from the 150,000 troops who will be fighting in that country once the surge is complete; that is why they blocked Republicans from offering resolutions of their own in the House or Senate pledging to keep financing the war. Democrats did not want an up-or-down vote on that question, but Bush has placed it squarely before them.

In other respects, too, Bush has been impressive in recent days.

He has been far more accessible -- and responsive -- to the media and public, holding any number of one-on-one interviews, both on and off the record, leading up to Wednesday's televised news conference. And he has been more candid in his responses than in the past.

While forcefully making his points, he has depersonalized the differences with his critics and opponents. He has not only vouched for the good intentions of congressional Democrats, he has visited them on their home ground, given them opportunities to question him face to face, and repeatedly outlined areas -- aside from Iraq -- where he says they could work together on legislation: immigration, energy, education, health care, the budget.

With the public eager for some bipartisan progress on all these fronts, Bush is signaling that he, at least, is ready to try.

At his news conference, he also stepped away from personal confrontation with the rulers in Iran, making it clear that he does not necessarily hold its political leadership responsible for shipping arms to the insurgent Shiites fighting in Iraq. He insisted the U.S. military would do whatever is necessary to halt the shipments and protect the troops, but he said repeatedly that these defensive measures are not a prelude to aggressive action against Iran.

All this is to the good. But Bush, unlike Clinton, is in the middle of a bloody civil war, which can be ended only by the Iraqis themselves. All he claims to be able to do is to provide some breathing space for them by attempting to reduce the violence. As he said, "What really matters is what happens on the ground. I can talk all day long, but what really matters to the American people is to see progress."

And whether the American people will see it, no one knows.

davidbroder@washpost.com

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

#1. To: All (#0)

Seems Bush isn't the only one who's delusional these days.

Katrina was America's Chernobyl.

aristeides  posted on  2007-02-16   14:10:04 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: aristeides (#1)

Seems Bush isn't the only one who's delusional these days.

Broder makes me believe in the parallel universe theory.

Dr.Ron Paul for President

Lod  posted on  2007-02-16   14:15:26 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: lodwick (#2)

Maybe somebody suggested to him that, if he didn't produce a piece like this one, he might lose his access.

Katrina was America's Chernobyl.

aristeides  posted on  2007-02-16   14:17:26 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: aristeides (#3)

I found some clips of the last press conference on youtube and it was BRUTAL - dear leader seems to be losing more of his marbles on a daily basis.

Dr.Ron Paul for President

Lod  posted on  2007-02-16   14:25:07 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: lodwick (#4)

I was thinking of Broder's comments about that press conference when I suggested he might be delusional.

Katrina was America's Chernobyl.

aristeides  posted on  2007-02-16   14:27:12 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: aristeides (#5)

I was thinking of Broder's comments about that press conference when I suggested he might be delusional.

I honestly haven't watched one of his press conferences in over a year. I just can't stand watching him, knowing what he's done and is about to do.

the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal bread.

bluedogtxn  posted on  2007-02-16   15:04:01 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: bluedogtxn, Richard, everyone (#6)

watch it and weep (or laugh) - pitiful -

cuds force bump

Dr.Ron Paul for President

Lod  posted on  2007-02-16   15:23:49 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: lodwick (#7)

"...and I intend to do something about it."

I think I'll go with "weep".

the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal bread.

bluedogtxn  posted on  2007-02-16   15:28:36 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#9. To: aristeides (#0)

Wow, I knew Broder's health was shaky, but it seems to have affected his brain. When Smirky came out with that argument that Iran's top officials were guilty whether they knew or didn't know that one of their militias might or might not be selling advanced weapons to Iraqi insurgents, you could hear the press gasp.

What Smirk is doing is trying to muddy the waters with dummied up intelligence, his usual MO. It ain't working. His entire performance was laughable, and "warning" the dems is meaningless...they can put him in handcuffs, and he knows it. He's just signalling that he'll make it a filthy fight, but they knew that already.

Mekons4  posted on  2007-02-16   16:21:22 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#10. To: lodwick (#4)

Bush Regains His Footing

They changed his meds is all.


I've already said too much.

MUDDOG  posted on  2007-02-16   16:51:20 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#11. To: MUDDOG (#10)

They changed his meds is all.

Many more changes and they'll have him drooling on the mic.

Dr.Ron Paul for President

Lod  posted on  2007-02-16   16:56:57 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#12. To: lodwick (#11)

they'll have him drooling on the mic

He was feeling no pain.


I've already said too much.

MUDDOG  posted on  2007-02-16   16:59:46 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest


[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help]