Bush faces rising concern over Iraq, deficit (AP)

[UpInArms]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/08/30/national1256EDT0539.DTL

A cheerful President Bush stood in the Rose Garden five weeks ago and boasted that Iraq was growing more peaceful, al-Qaida was being dismantled and "pretty good progress" was under way toward peace in the Middle East.

His optimism turned out to be premature on all three counts.

<snip>

Not too long ago, Bush seemed all but invulnerable to criticism for his post-Sept. 11 handling of foreign policy and national security. But that may be changing.

<snip>

Despite some new signs of an improving economy, August saw the nation's worst power blackout, a sharp spike in gasoline prices, continued high unemployment and a Congressional Budget Office projection of a $480 billion deficit next year and a budget in the red for most of the next ten years.

...more...

[WillyT]

1. Christ... Check Out The End Of The Article !!!

<snip>

One influential Bush adviser, GOP strategist Scott Reed, suggested that much of the August criticism of Bush's Iraq policy will blow away like a summer storm. And he said the political importance of an improving economy should not be underestimated.

"And the secret to all this is for the Bush White House to get back on the offensive on their issues," Reed said, citing the war on terrorism and Bush's economic stimulus program.

"August is always a tough month for presidents," Reed said.

<snip>

Tough for presidents???????? FUCK YOU!!!

:grr::nuke::mad:

[w13rd0]

2. Yeah, real tough...

...when they take a 35 day vacation when they're in a quagmire and presiding over a "jobless recovery"...what the frick ever...

[izzie]

3. Well people with kids got their tax refund and....

Aug people always buy for school, beides that houses are keeping the market going.The GOP must talk up good times. They have sold off the country to their friends and now lets make it look good.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[fizzana]

7. Let them enjoy their optimism.

That way they will be less inclined to think that things need fixing.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. So what will be the next horrific US event?

One influential Bush adviser, GOP strategist Scott Reed, suggested that much of the August criticism of Bush's Iraq policy will blow away like a summer storm. And he said the political importance of an improving economy should not be underestimated.


BLOW AWAY? :nuke: IMPROVING ECONOMY? :grr:

So, what's next on the BFEE and PNAC agenda to take our minds off the shameful debacle called Iraqi Freedom? It sure as hell ain't a recovering economy with Americans down on their knees licking *'s boots and singing his praises for all the wonderful things he has done to better everyone's financial security.

[JPace]

6. Iraq is imploding.....

unhappy Iraqis and terrorists are only
going to get better at killing our soldiers
and blowing things up.

This is going to get worse and Karl Rove & AWOL
will not find a way around it politically.
Americans are not going to put up with another
Viet Nam.

[0007]

9. ....and junior tells us that thing are going great

and folks are still dying and getting arms and arms blown away.

[Nottingham]

10. Bush is going down in History as the President who Destroyed the

dollar!

and US! :bounce:

[robbedvoter]

11. August is a tough months for presidents" - it's the season's fault!

I wonder how tough it is for vacationing frauds though...

[grasswire]

12. look what Scott Reed...

....had to say in June 2000:

Scott Reed, who managed Bob Doe's 1996 presidential bid, said Bush can avoid any sticky dilemmas by having "Republican governors in these Midwest states raising hell" about gas prices for him. "Let the surrogates do the lifting" for Bush, suggested Reed, since those GOP governors are closest to those voters, are popular with them, and have the most credibility with them.

As for Al Gore, high gas prices conjure the specter of "It's the economy, stupid," hurting his White House chances if they stay high into the fall.

Gore's challenge is to ensure the Clinton administration "is on top of this issue and is doing everything it can do to ease this price hike," said Carrick. In that sense, the White House, the FTC, and the EPA could be the cavalry that comes to Gore's rescue - or at least ease his political pain.

To the GOP, that's a case of "been there, done that." Said Reed, "The gas crisis in the Midwest is in direct contradiction of Gore's campaign message" of prosperity. In the spring, the Clinton administration preached it had turned the tide of rising gas prices. Midwest motorists who will vote in November are still feeling the pain now.

"This is a problem that's festered for a couple months. It's not over ..." said Reed, who predicted high prices will linger into the fall. "I'm not sure there's an easy Rose Garden strategy for Gore to have."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/06/26/politics/main209610.shtml