NYT/Week In Review: It's Hard Out There for a Leader in the West

[Rose Siding]

....
Not every grand vision of the 90's is dead: Democracy is still a growth stock in the world. The global economy is growing. Still, a number of the West's leaders are realizing at the same time that they will be measured by what happened on their watch. At such a time, it's tempting to focus on tomorrow — in hopes that history may be kinder to them than public opinion is today. DAVID E. SANGER
....
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES

POWER BASE Republican loyalists. George W. Bush barely made it into the Oval Office in the 2000 election but brilliantly capitalized on his handling of the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He won re-election in 2004 largely on confidence he would keep Americans safer. When he pushed through an aggressive tax cut plan, he delighted conservatives. But it was his willingness to use American power — first in Afghanistan, then to chase down terrorists, and finally to topple Saddam Hussein — that galvanized his supporters.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Three key goals met. The Taliban and Saddam Hussein are out of power, and Mr. Bush has moved the Supreme Court to the right. The rest is ambiguous. Tax cuts may have revived the economy, but deficits have ballooned. Mr. Bush hoped the liberation of Iraq would change the dynamics of the Middle East, but many Americans now seem more interested in knowing when and how America will get out.

TROUBLES Osama, Katrina, Dubai, deficits and defecting Republicans. Mr. Bush has battled accusations of incompetence in the Iraq war and hurricane relief. Concerning Iraq, many administration officials seem willing to define victory down to allow a faster withdrawal. Congress is threatening to review Mr. Bush's acts on warrantless wiretaps. Iran is racing toward acquiring nuclear weapons. Opinion polls put his approval ratings in the mid-30's.

...More (each is profiled)...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/weekinreview/02leaders.html